Always Have, Always Will
by gabrielle004
Summary: [Complete] HGRW ship! Ooohhh, where to start? A few steamy love scenes, a bit of drama and mystery, just enough humor, young love, and a whirlwind of teenage emotions. Rated M [some swearing] R&R I appreicate your comments!
1. An Owl from Ron

**Authors Note: **I would just like to state that the first 14 chapters of this fanfic were written before HBP was out. My story involves the trio's seventh year at Hogwarts, and I know that some of the shipping does not follow that of HBP, but please keep an open mind and remember that I wrote this two months **prior** to HBP. (Yes, this little fact **does **bother me because I like my fanfics to follow as close to JKR's story as possible.)

Anyways, I hope you enjoy it all the same. Please feel free to send in your reviews, good or bad, I'll except them all!

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-An Owl from Ron-

It was the fifth of August, and it was becoming the hottest day of the year.

Hermione sat on her bed facing a fan and enjoying the cool breeze that was gently blowing her hair. It was only morning and every window in the Granger's house was open, the occupants praying for a natural wind of some sort, but none came.

Hermione was dressed in a pair of pink shorts, and thin tank top that was two sizes too small by now because of her quickly growing bosom. The past year had brought on many changes for Hermione. In her sixth year at Hogwarts she had grown a completely different body, a "woman's body" as her mother called it.

But the one thing that really changed was her emotions, which were now complex and unpredictable.

She found herself spending endless hours day-dreaming about love and romance, only to come back to reality and have an empty feeling inside of her heart. She was getting bored with studying and a little annoyed with her teachers as well, which was something new to Hermione.

But the weirdest thing of all, were her feelings for Ron …

Hermione didn't know how she had done it, but some how she had made it through her entire sixth year without kissing Ronald Weasley, something which she had thought about doing every time she saw him.

Her feelings towards her best-friend weren't new to her, she had liked him ever since they met, but the feelings had now changed. They were becoming more … lustful and animal like. It was now an urge inside of her that she found hard to deny.

The only problem was, did Ron feel the same way?

She was sure that he had, before when her feelings were on "crush" level. But now that her feelings were getting deeper and stronger by the second, so was her doubt. And it was on hot summer days like this, that she would spend hours thinking things over in her head, quietly smiling and blushing to herself as she re-lived every encounter she had ever had with Ron in her mind …

She was just beginning to remember the way he laughed when her thoughts were interrupted by a small owl that had just flown into her room through the open window. The owl zoomed quickly around the room and then fell onto the bed close to Hermione, hooted once and then lifted his right leg exposing a letter.

Hermione recognized the owl at once, it was Pig, Ron's owl, and as she untied the letter she felt her heart begin to pound faster and faster.

Dear Hermione,

Hi. I hope you're having a good summer. My summer has been alright, not much to do here at the Burrow. Anyways, um, I was hoping that maybe you'd like to stay at my house for the last two weeks of summer vacation. Dad got a muggle tela-vision set and a V-C-Recorder thing – well whatever it's called, he told me that you can watch muggle movies, and I thought it might be cool to have you over and maybe you could bring some of your favorite movies. I mean, you know, if you wouldn't mind spending some time with me. Well – not totally alone with me, I invited Harry to come as well, of course. I just don't know if his aunt and uncle will let him come.

Well anyways, if you decide to come, just send Pig back with your answer, and I can pick you up at Diagon Alley.

Your Friend, Ron

Hermione read the letter once, and then read it again. "Your _friend_, Ron." She thought, her heart sinking a little bit. She did want to be more than friends, heck at this point she was likely to run off and marry him her feelings were so high.

She stared at the letter for a few moments, until Pig bit her finger, letting her know that he was waiting for an answer. _Mom and Dad will let me go, and I guess it would be fun to spend some time with him. _She reasoned quickly.

_Okay. I'll go. I'll bring a whole bunch of movies that I'm sure he'll like, and then when he's in a good mood, I'll just ask him if he likes me. It'll be just that easy. That way a can get an answer and then I'll know for sure. No more wishing and hoping._

With her new determination, she reached over to her nightstand and grabbed a stack of floral paper and her quill.

Dear Ron,

I'd love to spend two weeks with you and your family, it will be lots of fun, and I know just what kinds of movies to bring! I can meet you at the Leaky Cauldron at noon on August the 18th. I'll have to bring all of my school stuff with me though, I hope that won't be a problem with transportation.

See you soon, Hermione

Hermione put down her quill and reread her response. Satisfied, she tied the letter to Pig's leg and watched him fly out of the window. She sat on her bed for a good ten minutes, just smiling to herself and feeling a glow come over her.

And then she had an idea.

She ran out of her bedroom and down the stairs, through the hall, past the dining room and into the kitchen. "Dad?" she asked her father who was sitting down having brunch. "Do you think I could borrow some of your werewolf movies?"


	2. Return Owl

-Return Owl-

It was three in the afternoon, and Ron Weasley was taking a break, sitting in the back of his brother's joke shop.

He had just spent the last four hours selling boxes of Fred and George's Skiving Snackboxes to some younger Hogwarts students, all looking for ways to get out of the upcoming school year and it's long and sometimes boring classes. Ron had spent his entire summer so far working for Fred and George, it was a great way for him to make some money and also spend some time with his brothers that he rarely seen.

Of course working in a joke shop was not as easy as it first seemed.

There was lots of heavy lifting to be done. All of the many boxes that stored the ingredients to the magical candies had to be removed off of a truck and into the basement of the store, a task that Ron chose to do by himself in an attempt to work on his muscles.

Fred and George first laughed at Ron when he told him his reasoning for not using magic, but after seeing the results of three weeks of manual labor, his brothers had nothing more to say than "Not there Ron! You can't be placing fifty pounds of Doxy droppings over a box of powder Dragon liver, if one mixes with the other, it could cause an explosion!"

Ron had to admit that he had never expected his brothers to be so serious over something, but this time their determination was paying off – big too! Fred and George no longer lived at the Burrow; they bought the flat over their joke shop so they could spend late hours creating more things to sell to innocent children.

They were also able to pay Ron a considerable amount for his work, which was great for Ron, for he had been hoping to buy a new broom and a few other items.

Ron was leaning back in his chair, staring at the ceiling of the shop when in flew his owl, Pigwidgeon with a note attached to his leg. Ron sat up in his chair and waited for the owl to sit down on his lap so he could untie the letter.

His fingers were trembling as he unfolded the note, hoping beyond hope that Hermione hadn't told him off. As he read the letter, he felt his ears go red and his heart starting to speed up.

"What are you grinning about?" asked George as he entered the backroom, holding an empty box of Ton-Tongue Toffees. He looked down from Ron's smiling face and to the note in his hand, and then nodded in understanding, "I hope you're planning to tell her you love her this time around. Fred and I were starting to worry that you may _never_ do it." He walked over to the opposite wall, opened a sealed jar, and grabbed some more brightly wrapped toffees. He placed the toffees into the box, paused and then turned to Ron with a curious expression. "Did Mum tell you yet?"

"Tell me what?" Ron asked curiously.

"Well, since Fred and I aren't living at home anymore, Mum and Dad decided that it was about time you stopped living underneath the ghoul. So for the last week, they've been revamping our old room to give to you. Of course the walls aren't orange, but I think you can live without your Chudley Cannons now that they've lost every game played last season." George smiled and then added, "I thought maybe you knew, and that's why you invited Hermione over. You know, to get some one-on-one action in your new room."

George winked as Ron's eyes grew to the size of saucers. His face turned crimson in embarrassment and he opened his mouth to lie and say that the idea of him and Hermione making out had never, ever crossed his mind, but George had already left the room.


	3. Is that You?

-Is that you?-

As Ron sat at a table in the Leaky Cauldron, he kept glancing over at the door that lead out on the muggle street. He had arrived an hour early, purely out of nervousness and had become more and more anxious the closer it came to noon.

Now that it was five minutes to, Ron found himself fixing his newly cut hair in the reflection of a metal water jug. He had tried to dress his best for Hermione, he had changed a lot physically in a short time and he wanted to impress her, so he had gotten a hair cut the day before, and picked out a dark pair of blue jeans and a white cotton t-shirt to wear.

He heard a small bell ring in the direction of the door, and when he turned around he saw a beautiful woman walk into the Leaky Cauldron, wearing a pink, knee-length rain coat. Her brown hair was wet but neatly wrapped up in a loose bun, and underneath the rain coat she was wearing a white blouse and a knee-length black skirt.

Ron hadn't realized who this Venus was, until he noticed all of the luggage she was carrying. His eyes popped out of his sockets and his jaw dropped a bit as he stared at Hermione.

Hermione had just entered the Leaky Cauldron and was happy to be out of the rain. She had underestimated the run from the car to the pub while dragging all of her school things, and was hoping that Ron had a "dry" way of getting them to the Burrow.

She dropped her things on the floor, forgetting about Crookshanks until he hissed. She bent down and placed her face against his cage, whispered "Sorry" and then stood up and searched the pub for Ron.

Her eyes fell on a handsome man who was staring at her a few tables away. He had the weirdest expression on his face, but that's not why she noticed him.

Being the only person, apart from her self dressed in muggle clothing, he wasn't that hard to spot, but it was also his physique that caught her eye. He was quite tall and his exposed toned arms, along with his posture gave Hermione the feeling that he was in pretty good shape.

It wasn't until she noticed his ginger hair did her heart stop.

Ron caught Hermione's eye, saw her expression and was pleased to see that his plan to impress had worked, and it had to be said that he was pleasantly impressed as well.

With a new found confidence, he got up from his seat and strolled over casually with his nervous hands in his pockets and a small grin on his face.

"Hullo." Said Ron when he met up with Hermione. He was trying to look her in the eyes, but she was too busy staring him up and down.

"Whoa … Ron you really look different." She exclaimed.

"Why thanks. And so do you. I almost didn't recognize you, that was until I saw all of your stuff. Couldn't leave anything at home could you?" joked Ron playfully as he nodded over to the pile of bags at her feet.

Hermione looked into his eyes, with raised eyebrows in a playful look of annoyance. Even though he was good looking, Ron hadn't changed a bit on the inside. "So … how are we getting to your house? I have way to many things to apperate and – "

"Don't worry Hermione. Give me some credit, I _have_ thought this through you know." cut-in Ron. He reached down and grabbed three of her bags and nodded towards the same door she had entered. Hermione gave him a questioning look but picked up the remaining bag and Crookshanks' cage and follow Ron back outside into the rainy muggle street.

Hermione followed Ron as he jogged over to a beat up, navy blue 1958 Ford. He popped the truck and placed Hermione's luggage neatly inside, and then he motioned Hermione to the front seat of the car while he placed Crookshanks in the back seat.

When Ron and Hermione were both sitting in the dry car and out of the rain, Hermione turned to him and said, "Oh no. This isn't going to be like that time you and Harry took your father's car to Hogwarts is it? We really can't afford to get into that kind of trouble Ron."

Ron looked at her worried expression and smiled, "Don't worry about it. There is nothing magical about this car, and I'm planning to drive to my house. Yes Hermione, I have a muggle driver's license." He said to Hermione's wide eyed expression.

"Why would you get a driver's license?" asked Hermione. Why would any wizard get one, she wondered.

Ron blushed, he didn't want to admit it, but he had done it for her. He wanted to impress Hermione so badly that he had went through all of the pain-staking paper work and annoying practices just for this day.

Hermione seemed to have read his mind, because she didn't ask anymore questions, and Ron turned over the engine and began the long trip to the Burrow.


	4. Out of the Storm

-Out of the Storm …-

The car ride was long but fun. Ron and Hermione had been talking nonstop for the past three hours, each sharing their own summer vacation stories. Hermione was impressed when Ron told her about Fred and George's success, but was completely blown away when Ron told her about the money he was making, his drivers license and how he was saving up for a new broom, and a future house.

The rain was still pouring when they reached the drive way to the Burrow. The dark storm clouds overhead made it seem like it was closer to ten o'clock rather then five in the afternoon.

As Ron parked the car in front of his house, he turned off the engine and leaned forward to look out of the window and up at the sky. He hadn't noticed it before, but there was quite the storm outside.

Streaks of lightening were bolting across the sky everyfifteen seconds, making the back to back crash of thunder sound like millions of bombs falling from the sky. He looked over at Hermione who was peering out of her passenger window, watching the huge rain drops pound the earth.

Hermione pulled her wide eyes away from the window and looked over at Ron, who was apparently thinking the same thing she was.

"Well, I guess we better run for it. We should probably leave the bags here in the car, trying to unload now will only get us wetter."

Hermione nodded, "But we have to take Crookshanks. We can even just let him run for it; we don't have to take his cage right now." Hermione crawled into the back seat and unlocked Crookshanks' cage. The ginger cat didn't move, but looked frightened at the sight outside.

Hermione shrugged. "Well, I guess he'll come later. We may as well run for it now." Hermione grabbed Ron's hand as he helped her back into the front seat. They both looked at each other, and then Ron nodded and opened up his car door.

The wind was something they didn't expect. It was blowing the already hard rain into their faces and Hermione's unbuttoned rain coat was being ripped off. Ron ran around the car and grabbed Hermione and her coat, and then led her to the front door. It was locked.

"You didn't bring a key?" yelled Hermione over the rain, wind and thunder.

"My Mum was _supposed_ to be home." Explained Ron, feeling mighty embarrassed as they both stood in the rain, soaked to the bone. He grabbed Hermione by the hand and took her around the house to the back door.

It too was locked.

He pulled out his wand and pointed it into his hand. He mumbled and few words, and to Hermione's amazement, Ron's index finger on his left hand took the shape of a key.

He thrust his finger in the keyhole, and to his relief, the door slowly opened. He held the door open for Hermione who started to say, "Whoa! Ron I didn't know you could do the ..." but Ron gently pushed her into his house.

As they stood there in the kitchen, Ron had an odd feeling. He had closed the door and both him and Hermione were standing in a very dark, very quiet house.

Besides all of the noise of the storm from outside, nothing was moving or making a sound. No dishes were being washed magically in the sink, no brothers running around the house, no Ginny talking to Mum, not even a fire in the fireplace.

Ron stood there silent for a good minute. _So this is what it feels like to be home alone_ thought Ron, for he had never, not once in his life been at home with no one else around. He didn't know what to do; the place looked so different to him.

Hermione was getting colder by the second, she was completely soaked and she was feeling her nipples tighten because of the wet, cold blouse. "Ron do you think you could let me use the shower? I'm so cold I think I'm going to be sick."

"Oh – yeah, defiantly." Said Ron only now realizing that he was not completely alone. He walked Hermione up the stairs and showed her into the bathroom. She smiled and then closed the door, leaving him in the hallway with his heart slowly quickening.

_I'm home, alone, with the girl of my dreams. What should I do? Should I make a move?_ He thought as he felt himself warming below the belt. He was excited, in more ways then one. He could make a move right now. Why not? He was home alone. But for how long? And more importantly, _Does she even like me?_

Ron was awaken out of his thoughts when he heard the sound of running water from the other side of the door. He began to imagine Hermione's body underneath the warm water. Water running down her face…neck…breasts… stomach, and Ron felt his own stomach do a weird sort of flip.

He took a deep breath and headed for his bedroom, only to open the door and find the room completely empty, but for a note lying on the ground. He picked up the note and read,

Ron,

Sorry your father and I won't be home when you get this surprise. I wanted so much to be there, but we had to go pick up Ginny at the Lovegood's and you know that any visit with them will never be a short one. I hope you and Hermione made it home alright. I heard there was to be a nasty storm headed your way.

Anyways, your father and I have decided to give you Fred and George's old room. We re-painted it, bought you a bigger bed (since you've well out grown your old one) and we moved all of your belongings as well. Oh and do make sure you get Hermione set up in Ginny's room dear, don't spend too much time in your room and forget about her.

See you soon,Mum

Ron had completely forgotten about his and George's conversation a few weeks earlier, but now as Ron stood there in the bare orange room, he worried to think what his mother had done to his new one.

He ran out of his old room, down the stairs and turned down the right hall. He passed the bathroom where Hermione was still showering and headed straight for the door in front of him.


	5. and Into the Bedroom

-… and Into the Bedroom-

He took a deep breath, closed his eyes and opened the door. He wished and prayed that his new room didn't look pathetic. He didn't want to see Hermione's face if his room looked "kiddish" and not "manly".

Ron slowly opened his eyes and he felt his jaw drop. It was the best room ever. The room was twice the size of his old one, and the walls had been painted a worn out navy, his favorite color.

His new bed was big enough for three people to sleep in and the old white frame had four tall posts that went up to the ceiling. On top of the posts were long pieces of navy fabric that were currently pulled back, but could be drawn.

Across from the bed was his old chest that had been re-painted white, along with an old chair and a tall mirror. The window that faced outside was also covered with a knitted blue curtain, that was moving slightly because of the wind blowing threw the crack in the glass.

Ron walked into the room and sat down on the navy sheets that covered his bed; sheets that were soft and felt so warm against his cold skin.

Without thinking twice, he removed all of his clothing and crawled into his new bed. He closed his eyes and listened to the sound of the wind and rain outside, as he enjoyed the feeling of the cloth against his naked body.

He lay there for what felt like an eternity when he suddenly heard someone calling his name. His eyes popped open as he realized that Hermione was in the house with him; and by the sounds of it had finished her shower and was looking for him.

"Hermione I'm over here!" he called as he sat up in bed, and then felt his heart jump as he realized that he was naked.

He didn't know whether to run and close the door, or stay put under the covers. But before he could make up his mind, Hermione came around the corner.

"Is this now your room?" she asked curiously as she spotted Ron sitting in his bed. Ron would have been embarrassed if it wasn't for the fact that Hermione was holding up a towel that was covering her own naked body.

"Yeah. It's well, sort of a surprise present from my mum and dad. Not bad though eh? No more orange." Ron tried to smile as he felt his face get hot.

That wasn't the only part of him that was getting hot. Seeing Hermione with her wet long hair sticking gently to her shoulders and seeing her beautifully shaped legs sticking out of a rather short towel was making another part of his body hot too.

Hermione smiled as she stood at the door embarrassedly, not knowing what to do or say next. She could tell by the way Ron was acting that he was naked underneath those covers, and the one thing she wanted to do at this very moment was jump on top of him and start kissing every part of his divine body.

"Hermione?" Ron said with a shaky voice looking down at his covers. "Look. I know this may seem weird and all but - "

He was cut off by Hermione's lips pressed against his. Without thinking twice, Hermione had strode across the room, while still holding up her towel, and leaned in to kiss Ron.

The kiss was warm and sent waves of heat through both of their bodies. Ron couldn't believe his luck, the question he was about to ask had just been answered in the best of ways.

Hermione was relieved that Ron hadn't pulled away, but instead had grabbed her arms and was gently pulling her on top of him.

They lay there for a while; Hermione on top on the sheets, on top of Ron, kissing passionately like there was no tomorrow.

Ron was holding her face, running his fingers through her damp hair while Hermione was holding onto the pillow underneath his head, her lower body rocked up and down, back and forth teasing his lower half.

Ron pulled away slightly, and Hermione stopped. She opened her eyes and stared into Ron's, she was hoping that he didn't think she was a tramp; she just wanted him so badly.

"Hermione …" Ron whispered as he looked into her eyes. "There's something I have to say." Hermione's heart did a small flip. "I love you, Hermione. Always have, always will. Every time I'm around you, my heartbeat quickens, my soul is happy, I just … I just want to know if you feel the same way."

Hermione laughed a sexy sort of laugh. "Of course I feel the same way, you silly fool! Would I be on top of you wearing nothing but a towel if I didn't love you too?" She smiled, smiled with all of her soul and was happy to see Ron's face light up with the same kind of happiness that she was feeling.

Hermione sat up on top of Ron, her lower half on his lower half. She could feel a bulge underneath the covers and looked up to see Ron blushing. She slowly lowered herself back on top of Ron; she was now moving with instinct that didn't require thought.

She slowly brought her head up to his right ear and whispered very slowly but clearly, "I want to feel your body … next to mine. I want to feel you. I've been thinking about it for such a long time … I have to have it. Please?" She begged, with a desperate tone in her voice.

Ron couldn't take it. This was better than any dream he had ever had. He nodded and then kissed her neck. Hermione slowly got off of him and off of the bed.

She stood beside the bed and let the towel drop to the floor, all the while watching Ron's expression.

Ron was amazed. He had never seen such beauty before and with out saying a word lifted the covers so Hermione could craw in beside him.

His body was warm and felt so good against her own cool skin. She laid with her back against his chest, and Ron wrapped his arms around her, warming her up even more.

She noticed that he avoided touching her breasts, so she stuck out her butt and felt the heat of his (well, you know).

Ron's heart was beating faster than ever. He whispered in her ear, "Hermione? Are you sure you want to?"

"Why, don't you?" asked Hermione, her head tilted back to stare into Ron's face.

"Are you kidding? Of course I do. It's just … well I guess I'm nervous that I … won't be good or something." Ron admitted.

Hermione rolled over so that she was facing him. She hugged him tightly and breathed in his sweet scent. Yes, she was sure she wanted him too. She pulled out of the hug and looked into his eyes and whispered,

"Do what feels right. Don't try to "impress" me or anything and don't worry too much. Just feel my body and enjoy me."

With those words, Ron followed his gut and grabbed her into a kiss, his hands began to explore her body as both of their breaths became faster and heavy.

His fingers slowly traveled down her back, her butt and then up her side and to her soft breast.

Hermione threw her head back and let out a deep and sultry moan. Ron was so aroused by this that he naturally positioned himself, ready to enter her.

Hermione didn't need to be told; she spread her legs and gently bit his bottom lip when he entered her.

It was the greatest feeling in the world. It didn't hurt, but instead felt so fulfilling.

They moved as though they were one, as though they had done this many times before, as though it was nothing new. They used the size of the bed to their advantage as they rolled over and over, kissing and rubbing together.

All of their inhibitions were set aside as they moaned and nibbled, scratched and grabbed. And it felt so good to finally experience, for the first time, something they both so badly wanted.

And they were both happy that it was happening with each other.

Half and hour later, when it was all over, they lay there, in each others arms, listening with closed eyes to the dying storm outside. When Ron's breath had finally come back to it's normal rhythm, he drew in a deep breath, taking in the sweet smell of Hermione and whispered, "I love you, Hermione. Always have, always will."

"I love you too Ron. More than I can express right now."

Ron smiled. "You just did."


	6. The Secret is Out

**Author's Note - **I just wanted to give a quick Thank-You to every one who has read my story and to those of you who reviewed my story (**isnani, Waterandsky04, CrashKivicus**) extra Thanks for taking the time to write and review! Without further ado, here is the next chapter!

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-The Secret is Out- 

It had been odd when Hermione and Ron had had to see his parents after that wonderful evening. For a long time afterwards they felt like they were keeping some horrible lie from them, but after a week at the Burrow, both of them were more at ease.

They found it hard not to be close to each other, they were always holding hands when they thought no one was watching, or sneaking small, quick kisses before Ron left for work in the mornings.

When Ron was home after work, they spent hours setting together and planning their future, since they had already watched all of the movies Hermione had brought; Mr. Weasley had particularly enjoyed them.

They didn't know whether or not it would be safe for them to tell his family, but on the night of the 27th they didn't have to worry about it anymore.

It was about seven o'clock and Molly, Arthur, Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Fred and George were all sitting around the kitchen table, laughing and talking after just finishing a great meal.

Fred and George were explaining to their father about the next candy they were in the process of making, when Molly suddenly chimed in with her cheery voice, "Well as interesting as this conversation is, what I want to know is what's going on with you two." Mrs. Weasley looked across the table at Ron and Hermione.

Ron choked on his drink. He coughed and cleared his throat and said in a shaky voice, "What do you mean?"

Everyone was quiet and all eyes were on Ron and Hermione, who were trying to look as innocent as possible. Mrs. Weasley explained, "I want to know exactly what has been going on with you two every night."

Hermione's heart stopped. _Oh my Gawd! She knows I've been sneaking into Ron's room every night and that we've been making love! We're so dead! What are we going to do? Oh my gawd, Oh my gawd, Oh my gaw__d ..._

Mrs. Weasley smiled, "Every night you two sit down beside the fire and talk endlessly about your relationship. Yes that's right; you're not as quiet as you think you are." Mrs. Weasley smiled. "Why didn't you tell us Ron? I'm so happy for you two!"

Hermione was so relieved that it wasn't about what she had thought, and the look on Ron's face told her that he had been worrying too. Everyone around the table was smiling.

"So have you two kissed?" Fred asked Ron.

"Fred! Don't be rude that's –" Molly exclaimed.

"Only when Ron leaves for work." Replied Ginny.

"Ginny! You leave Ron and Hermione alone. It's a shame that they already hide it when they hold hands, you don't need to embarrass them further." Said Molly.

And as the conversation slowly turned back to Fred and George, Ron looked over at Hermione and gave her a look that read "sorry". But she just smiled and grabbed his hand under the table.


	7. September 1

-September 1-

It was September first and Ron, Hermione and Ginny were at Kings Cross station, dragging their luggage into an empty compartment. Ron hoisted the girls' luggage up onto the racks when he spotted Harry outside of the window.

Harry was standing next to the train with a girl who had long dirty blonde hair.

"Blimey! Would you look at that …" Ron exclaimed as he stood there staring from a distance out the window.

Hermione and Ginny looked from Ron's expression and then leaned forward to see out of the window as well.

Hermione was the first to speak, "Harry with – "

"Luna?" whispered Ginny.

"Yup. Looks like it." said Ron who had now leaned in to get a better view.

Harry had noticed his friends staring at him through the window. He waved and then turned back to Luna. They said a few words and then Luna leaned forward and gave him a peck on the cheek, grabbed her luggage and then headed for the front of the train.

Harry looked up at his friends and singled that he would come to join them.

When Harry entered the compartment, he found Ginny sitting on one bench and then to his surprise, Hermione and Ron sitting together holding hands.

"Well I'll be …" said Harry as he dropped his luggage. "I thought you two were never going to admit it. It's about time." He smiled and then threw his luggage up and took a seat next to Ginny.

Ron looked at his best friend with a huge grin, "Okay, so Hermione and I were due, but what about you and Luna? When did that happen?"

Harry grinned, "Pen-pals! All summer long! It was really great and I learned a lot about her. Mind you we're not as close as you two seem, already into holding hands are you?"

"I suspect it's more than that." Said Ginny with a sly smile. Ron and Hermione both threw her looks, so she quickly busied herself with the day's issue of the Daily Prophet.

"More than just holding hands eh?" mumbled Harry as he looked from Ginny to Ron, back to Ginny and then to Hermione. Harry thought he understood and raised his eyebrows in questioning form.

Hermione shook her head, but Ron slowly nodded. Hermione seeing Ron nod punched him in the shoulder, which made him scream "Ouch Hermione! That really hurt!"

Harry just laughed. It was really good to see that his two best friends hadn't really changed all that much.

* * *

When they had gotten settled into their dormitories, Hermione met Ron and Harry in the common room. Both the boys were playing a game of wizard chess and as always, Ron was winning. 

Hermione sat herself down and waited for the game to end before she spoke. When Ron had won he leaned over and kissed Hermione on the cheek and she whispered in his ear, "Can I talk to you?"

Ron pulled away and said, "Yeah. Sure, what's up?"

Hermione looked from Ron to Harry and then back to Ron, "I mean, can I talk to you alone?"

Ron looked at Hermione and then turned to Harry. "You don't mind do you? It will only be a second, I'll be right back." Harry nodded and Ron got up and followed Hermione off into a vacant corner.

"What's up?" asked Ron.

Hermione felt foolish, "Well I … first of all it is kind of weird isn't it? Asking Harry to leave the conversation, eh?"

Ron shrugged. "Meh, not much he can do, and I mean I'd do the same for him and Luna."

Hermione nodded, "Well … what I really came to talk about was … well this will be our first night alone, without, you know, making love. I dunno. I probably sound stupid but I was just feeling …"

"Sad?" finished Ron. Hermione nodded. "Me too. I was thinking about on the train ride here. Stinks doesn't it, that we can't spend any _real_ time alone. Well I mean there _is_ a way, but I don't know if you're interested."

Hermione raised her eyebrows. "The Room of Requirement." Said Ron in a sexy, playful voice. "Imagine what that room would look like if you and I wanted to enter for a night of pure sexual bliss."

Hermione's face flushed with the thought. "But what if someone else entered the room?"

"We could lock it couldn't we?" stated Ron plainly, as he wrapped his arms around her waist.

"Yes, but how would we _get_ to the room that late at night?"

"Hermione, you're head girl. I'm head boy. I don't see a problem, do you?"

Hermione shot a look at Ron. She wanted to say that there was a problem, they shouldn't be abusing their authority to run around the school, finding a place to make love in.

But when she smelt the scent of his body and the way she fit perfectly into his arms, she didn't care if she got kicked out of Hogwarts. She just wanted him tonight.


	8. Red and White Silk

-Red and White Silk-

They had made their way down to the Room of Requirement without meeting a single teacher, ghost or cat and they were feeling quite good about what was to come.

Hermione looked at Ron who was staring ahead at the place where the door would appear. Ron looked at Hermione and said, "Let me do it. I want it to be romantic; I know exactly what I want."

Hermione stepped back and watched as Ron paced the floor three times with his eyes closed tightly. She began to wonder what kind of a room he would create, when a door suddenly appeared.

Ron opened his eyes and grabbed the door handle. He opened the door and motioned for Hermione to walk in first. She gasped at the sight.

The room was completely covered with red and white silk. There was a huge four poster bed with white silk sheets and red rose petals on it to match the red pillows. The two night tables on either side of the bed were also draped in red silk cloth and one had bottles of white and red wine, and the other had dipped chocolate strawberries.

Candles were everywhere in the room, all in shades of whites, reds and pinks, and indifferent shapes and sizes. The flicker of over a hundred candles made the room seem so much more romantic, and the soft vanilla fragrance that they were emitting was amazing.

The floor was covered in a beautiful cream colored carpet that was so soft Hermione was tempted to make love on the floor. She walked into the room, still not believing that Ron could imagine something this beautiful when she heard him gently close the door.

Ron locked the door with a wave of his wand and then closed his eyes, thinking very hard.

He opened his eyes and looked around until he spotted it on the table next to him. He walked over andpicked up the yellow lilies. He then dug his hand deep into his robes pocket and pulled out a small black box.

He slowly walked towards Hermione and then tapped her on the back. She turned, her face full of excitement and wonder.

"Ron this is unbelievable!" she gasped with her hands clenching her heart.

"I want to make it even more unbelievable." Ron stuck out the lilies and Hermione's face grew even more with excitement.

Ron took a deep breath. "Hermione, the past fourteen days have been the best days of my life. I'm so happy that you and I are finally one, and I wanted to do this now, just in case we do get caught later down the line, at least today would be special."

He brought his left hand from around his back. Hermione saw the small box and gasped. He opened it for her and she saw a simple but beautiful gold ring. The ring was thin and delicate looking with seven tiny stones set inside; four rubies and three yellow sapphires.

Ron explained, "A promise ring. I know it's not much, I picked it up in Diagon Alley –"

"Oh Ron don't be stupid, it's the most beautiful thing I've ever seen!" gasped Hermione.

Ron smiled, "I made sure it was gold and red so if anyone asks, you can tell them it's for Gryffindor, and there are seven gems in total to represent the seven years that I've loved you." Ron paused and smiled at Hermione's speechless expression. Hermione was amazed that he had placed so much thought into a ring.

"But it's a ring to go with a promise. I promise to be faithful. I promise to never lie, well unless you ask me if I think you look fat in a certain pair of pants, I can't say that I won't lie to not hurt your feelings." Hermione smiled, "And I promise to always try my very best to keep that wonderful smile of yours on your face."

Hermione began to cry. "Oh Ron!" She threw her arms around her neck and started to cry tears of joy.

Ron was happy to see that she was happy. "So does this mean you'll wear it?"

"Of course I'll wear it!" She got control of herself and pulled away to let him slip the ring onto her right hand ring finger.

The ring fit like a dream. The jewels sparkled gorgeously in the low candle light, but the thing that made her the most happy was his promise to her.

Hermione quickly had an idea and told Ron to sit down on the bed. He helped himself to some red wine and poured a glass of white for Hermione. Hermione though was preoccupied. She needed to think.

She closed her eyes and thought very hard when she heard a small pop and turned around to see a set of folding doors. She walked behind the doors and closed her eyes thinking hard. And when she opened them, she saw it; a beautiful white silk nightgown with small, delicate red roses embroidered on it.

She smiled as she imagined Ron's expression, and she quickly stripped out of her robes and into the gown. The cool material felt like a cloud next to her bear skin.

She felt her nipples harden as the material teased her breasts. She felt herself getting wet as she stood behind these folding doors, getting aroused by her own body and how sexy she felt.

Ron was now sitting on the bed, already done one glass of wine and was about to pour another when Hermione came walking from behind the folding doors. His jaw dropped, his eyes popped and his groin immediately reacted.

She came prowling across the room, her nipples hard against the soft material. Ron licked his lips; although it had been less than 24 hours since he last touched her; that was much too long to be away from Hermione.

Hermione strode over to Ron, grabbed the glass out of his hand, threw him back onto the bed and jumped on top of him.

She sat on top of him, and he grabbed her butt so she could lean over and grab her glass of wine. She took a long sip, but let a small drop dribble down her lip, down her neck and into her cleavage.

Ron smiled, "I love you so much."

"So do I … always have, always will." And with these last words, Hermione let her glass slip out of her hand and her body slip into erotic bliss.


	9. The Warning

-The Warning-

Hermione sat in her arithmancy class doodling on a scrap piece of parchment. It was her first class of the school year and she had already finished Professor Vector's assignment. She had thirty minutes to kill, so she had resorted to doodling her name and Ron's over and over again in loopy scrawl.

When the parchment was completely covered in "Hermione Granger Loves Ronald Weasley", she hide the paper in the middle of her arithmancy book. She closed the book, and looked up at the clock on the wall. She still had fifteen minutes to kill.

Hermione raised her hand and asked Professor Vector if she could use the bathroom. Vector smiled and nodded, and Hermione left the classroom. But instead of heading down to the girls toilets, she walked towards Ron's Muggle Studies class.

The door was open but Professor Devout was busy writing something on the chalk board. Hermione leaned against the wall so she was out of the Professor's sight, and looked up and down the rows of students.

She saw Ron sitting at the far end of a row, balancing his chair onits two back legs. He was scribbling down what the professor was writing with a bored expression on his face.

Hermione smiled as she watched him. He looked cute as he worked without knowing he was being watched, the way he naturally bit the end of his quill when he was thinking, and the way he seductively leaned back in his chair.

Hermione was so lost in thought she hadn't noticed that Dumbledore was standing right behind her.

"Paying a visit to Mr. Weasley?" said Dumbledore in his slow soothing voice.

Hermione's heart jumped as she spun around and was shocked to see the headmaster standing behind her with a small smile. Hermione blushed, she was about to apologize for being out of class when Dumbledore spoke,

"That's quite alright. I actually came here to have a quick word with Mr. Weasley, and I should probably tell you too." Dumbledore quickly smiled and then walked past Hermione and into the classroom.

A minute later, Ron and Hermione were both standing outside in the hallway, Dumbledore closed the classroom door behind him.

Ron gave Hermione a questioning look, and Hermione gave a small shrug. Dumbledore turned to both of them and said, "Well, I'm sorry to pull you both out of your classes, but I'm afraid there is something I want to bring up."

Dumbledore smiled as Ron and Hermione waited for him to speak.

"A house elf came to me this morning and mentioned that he was unable to enter a certain room on the seventh floor last night. The house elves call this the "Come and Go" room, have you two ever heard of it?" Dumbledore asked innocently.

Ron shook his head as Hermione stood rooted to the spot.

"Neither had I, so I went to go check this morning and I found it. It was open but I wonder if maybe there were some students out of bed last night. Are you two aware of any young Gryffindors leaving the dormitories last night?"

Ron again shook his head with out speaking. Hermione could feel her face flushing.

Dumbledore nodded. "Well, all the same I wanted to bring it to your attention and remind you that students should not be roaming the halls late at night. Of course Prefects and Heads are allowed, but I ask that they only do so if there is good reason. I wouldn't want to stop anyone from using the loo."

Dumbledore smiled as Hermione and Ron both nodded and then turned to leave. When Dumbledore had left the hallway, Ron turned to Hermione and let out a low whistle.

"Geese … I thought we were in trouble for sure." Ron let his body relax but Hermione turned on him.

"What do you mean? He knows Ron! He knows it was us and he probably knows what we were doing too!" Hermione hissed. "If it wasn't for you and your stupid idea, we wouldn't look like idiots right now!"

"Excuse me? 'Stupid idea'? You didn't think it was so stupid last night when you were all over me! " Ron spat back.

Hermione's face filled with shock and then anger. "Don't you dare bring up last night like that; you damn well know how much that night meant to me!"

"So then what's your problem?"

"My problem is finding a way to walk down the halls of this school knowing that all of the teachers know that you and I made love in the Room of Requirement!"

Ron rolled his eyes, "Hermione, Dumbledore didn't go and tell the entire staff! I doubt he even knows that it was us who were out of bed last night."

Hermione crossed her arms. She was feeling so embarrassed that she was tempted to just leave the school and forget her last year at Hogwarts. She turned and started to walk away from Ron and back to her class.

Ron called after her, "Hermione where are you going?"

"Class is over. We have to be in Herbology in four minutes." Answered Hermione plainly with out looking back.

Ron watched her leave around the corner and then opened the door to his classroom; he returned to his desk and grabbed his things. His mind was swimming with thoughts and his stomach was beginning to toss and turn.

He too was worried that Dumbledore may have known that it was him and Hermione who were out of bed last night. But he was grateful that if Dumbledore did know, he hadn't said so.


	10. You Can't be Mad Forever

-You Can't be Mad Forever-

The first week of school had come to an end and Hermione was sitting outside on the lawn underneath a willow tree.

It was a glorious Saturday afternoon and Hermione was in a very good mood as she sat reading her book, "Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus" and sucking on the red, cherry flavored lollipop that she had been craving all day.

The past week had been a hard one, what with her not speaking to Ron, but she had asked her mother to send her this book as a way to get some answers about men and how to deal with them.

Though the book at times seemed like absolute rubbish, she couldn't put it down and couldn't help laughing whenever the book described a man like Ronald Weasley.

Of course this only brought back fond memories about her and Ron's romance, and even though she was no longer mad at him, she refused to let him know it.

It was, after all, much more fun to see him trying so desperately hard to get her attention and trying to make her laugh.

All this morning he had tried to talk to her at breakfast in the great hall. When he realized that he wasn't going to get a better answer out of her than "yes" or "no" or "not now", he asked her about her book she was reading.

Hermione had thought a moment and decided that she should give him some hope so she responded with, "I'm trying to figure out just how to stop hating you. After all, if you're going to be my husband one day, I can't be mad forever."

She had looked over the corner of her book and saw Ron's ears go red. His face broke out into a grin and he had left the table for his quidditch practice a lot happier than he had been.

Hermione put down her book and removed the lollipop from her mouth. She licked her lips and looked around at the scene in front of her; a group of third years were sitting on benches close to the school playing multiple games of exploding snap. Another group of kids were on the edge of the lake, tickling the giant squids tentacles, one younger girl looked too frighten to get close to the beast and was on the verge of screaming.

Hermione then saw two boys walking towards the castle wearing crimson quidditch robes. Hermione turned her body and squinted to get a better look. The two boys were being flocked on by three sixth year girls.

Hermione felt a surge of jealousy run through her veins. _Why the hell is that girl all over Ron?_

She watched as the boys stopped walking and the three girls started to grab at Ron and Harry's arms. Hermione got up so fast that her book fell off of her lap with a thud.

She stood there for a second, not knowing what to do, and then picked up her book, shoved her lollipop back in her mouth and slyly walked across the lawn and to the boys.

Ron was feeling very awkward, he had never had so much attention before, especially from three very good looking girls. Ron looked over at Harry for support, but Harry was too busy trying to keep Rhoda Grant's hands away from his chest.

Ron felt someone pinch his left arm and turned to see Lindsey Botterill grabbing on to his arm, "Whoa Ron, I didn't know you were so muscular. Do you work out?" she asked while batting her many eyelashes.

Ron felt his ears going red. He ran his fingers nervously threw his hair, not knowing how to respond. He grew even more scared when he heard someone say, "Excuse me ladies, but I believe you're trespassing on private property."

Ron looked up and saw Hermione standing in front of him and the two girls. She was holding a book against her hip with her left hand, and had a lollipop in her right hand.

Hermione stood there and eyed the girls up and down, her posture full of sassy attitude and a smirk on her face. Ron began to blush, he was thankful to see that Hermione was no longer ignoring him.

Hermione's raised eyebrow expression bounced from one girl to the other, she waited for a response. The three Ravenclaw girls let go of the boys but didn't leave. They came together in between the boys and Hermione, all three of them with crossed arms, they weren't going to leave that easily.

Ron and Harry glanced at each other, both with an expression of intrigue.

Hermione grinned. _If these girls want a fight, they'll get a fight, _she thought. She tossed the book and the lollipop to the floor, all the while watching the girls.

As she made for her wand she shook her head slowly and said, "I didn't want to have to do this, but if I must, I think a nice wart growing charm will work the best on you girls. Pity, you're so pretty."

When Hermione's wand was out, she saw one of the girls back down and slowly edge away, obliviously she had not believed that Hermione would actually fight back.

The other girls shot quick, nasty but scared looks at Hermione and then they too followed their friend and slowly walked back to the school.

Hermione watched them leave and was tempted to yell after them, but she was suddenly grabbed up by Ron who spun her around and kissed her hard on the lips.

When he finally put her down, Hermione smiled and said, "Well I had to do something, I couldn't let those _scarlet women_ take you away from me."


	11. Last Minute Gift

-Last Minute Gift-

It was Friday, the nineteenth of September which meant one thing, "Hermione's birthday!"

Harry looked up from his tea cup and at Ron. Ron looked absolutely horrified as he sat in his seat with his eyes glazed over and his mouth gaping open. "What's wrong? You look like you just saw a ghost."

At these words Professor Trelawney made her way over to Harry and Ron's table, eager to hear more about this 'ghostly encounter', but Harry quickly stopped her in her tracks by calling out, "False alarm."

As Trelawney disappointedly retreated, Harry turned back to Ron, waiting for him to answer.

Ron looked over at Harry, "I forgot her birthday. How could I forget her birthday?" he moaned as he dropped his head into his hands.

Harry felt really bad, "Well … you could always give her my gift and say that it was from you. I mean I didn't get her much, only a new fancy quill that comes in a pewter case with her name engraved on it."

Ron shook his head, "I can't do that. I'm her boyfriend, how could I be so thick?"

He let his fingers pull downward at his face as he opened his eyes and looked at Harry. "And the thing is, how on earth do I top that ring that I gave her? I don't have_ that_ much money Harry! That ring cost me over five Galleons, that's a quarter of what I made this summer."

Ron looked miserable. Harry tried to think while staring into his tea cup. The wet leaves inside seemed to take the shape of a musical note and then he had an idea.

"Ron," Harry spoke without taking his eyes off of his cup.

"Hmm?" Ron grunted sounding completely doomed.

"I was just thinking … you know, girls do tend to like more personal things over material things. So why don't you write her a love letter?"

Ron perked up and looked at Harry. "Really? Do you think that's a good present? I mean it's just a piece of paper."

"Well it's not just a piece of paper. It's a piece of paper that expresses your love for her. And you could ask Dean to put a singing spell on it, so when she opens the letter it will start to quietly play a love song."

Ron's face grew in astonishment. "He knows how to do that?"

Harry nodded, "Yeah he gave a card like that to Ginny last year." Harry watched as Ron's face tightened, he didn't like the idea of his younger sister dating, but then his expression softened.

"You know what, I know just what song I want to use. I think I'll start on it now," he said and then took out a spare piece of parchment, "and then later I'll find Dean, he'll work his magic and I'll have Hermione drowning me with kisses in no time."


	12. Birthday Wishes

-Birthday Wishes-

Arithmancy had been cancelled for the day because Professor Vector had caught a bad case of Dragon Pox, so Hermione made her way back up to the Gryffindor common room and up to her dorm.

When she entered the room she saw that her bed was covered in presents and cards and she was happy to see that her birthday had not gone unforgotten.

She made her way to her bed and immediately opened cards from her dorm mates and Ginny, and then moved onto a box of fudge from Hagrid and an elegant quill from Harry.

There were two more envelopes left on the bed, one was red and the other white. She was sure that the white, plain envelope held birthday wishes from her mother and father, so she slowly picked up the red one.

When she removed the letter from the envelope she heard the gentle playing of one of her most favorite muggle songs, "Groovy Kind of Love" by Phil Collins. At once she knew who this letter was from, and her heart began to quicken as she unfolded the parchment and saw Ron's handwriting.

Dear Hermione,

Happy 18th Birthday! I hope you're having a great day and don't study too hard, it is your birthday after all, (not to mention a Friday). And I hope you like the song, I remember you humming it over the summer …

Anyways, I just wanted to let you know how much you mean to me. I don't think you know, but when I'm away from you for more than an hour, you're all I think about.

I love everything about you. Yes everything, even when you're being bossy I still find you to be rather cute, and I can't imagine losing you to someone else, (he would definitely not live for too long).

I've planned a romantic dinner for just us two on top of the astronomy tower tonight at eight o'clock, and yes I got permission from McGonagall, we just have to be in bed by 10:30 pm. (Urg.)

Hermione, I'm so glad that we're finally together, and I think it has to be said that you're the last face I see at night before I sleep, and the first I see when I wake up.

Your Boyfriend, Ron

Hermione wiped the small tears from her eyes and then reread the letter one more time before placing it back into the envelope and stopping the music that had been playing all the while.

With a smile on her face and a light feeling in her heart, Hermione reached over and grabbed the last envelope. She opened it to find a letter and a key.

She pulled out the key and held it in her right hand. She looked at it curiously. It was old looking and silver, the cold metal gave her a quick shiver down her spine and she returned to the letter that had come with it.

When she read the letter the first time, she thought that she had read it wrong. She looked back at the key in her hand, blinked and then reread the letter,

There is a girl that makes me horny,

All twisted up inside.

I really want to date her,

But I've got to much pride.

She makes me moan at night time,

When I dream about her body.

There's something about this girl,

She makes me feel so naughty.

But if she would be so kind,

To fulfill my sexual pleasure,

Then take this key, and come find me,

A chest of erotic treasure.

Hermione sat on her bed, lifted her eyes off of the page and stared into space. She was stunned and speechless. This was definitely not a letter from her parents, and Ron had already sent her a letter …

Hermione twitched, she felt her head working again and she stared down at the lewd letter in her hand. She had half a right mind to tear the paper into shreds, but she wanted to know who would send such a disgusting piece of filth.

She got up off of her bed, and with the anger increasing inside of her, shoved the letter and the key back into the envelope in which it had come. She was about to leave the room to go and find Ron, when she froze and realized that she couldn't tell him.

She didn't know why, but as she stood alone in the dormitory something inside of her warned her not to. _What the hell am I going to do then?_ she thought back. _I want to know who sent this!_

She stood there, thinking things over in her mind. She really did want to know who sent this letter, but she wasn't ready to go after the person tonight and confront him alone. A person who would have enough guts to write something this rude and disgusting would likely be a dangerous person when turned down.

The problem was, she needed a way to see, with out being seen.

Hermione's body perked up as a thought came to her.

_I'll ask Harry to go… I'll give him the key, and he can wear his invisibility cloak so he won't be seen. That way I can find out who it is without putting my self in danger, or anyone getting in trouble for being out of bed so late, and I can still have dinner with Ron._

Hermione nodded to herself. That's what she would do. It was a perfect plan. Harry would be willing to help, and she knew that he wouldn't tell Ron about it if she asked him not too.

Hermione hid the envelope inside of her robes and got her books ready for her next class. Her only problem was finding a way to show Harry the letter without Ron knowing.


	13. Birthday Wishes: Part 2

-Birthday Wishes: Part 2-

Herbology was the last class of the day, and it was turning out to be very long and very hot. The Gryffindor and Hufflepuff seventh years were all sweating as they sat in groups in green house number three, learning to properly plant mandrake seedlings.

The trio was working together in a group with Neville Longbottom and Susan Bones, and all five of them were feeling the same way; hot, tired and extremely temperamental.

With their brains increasingly turning into mush by the sun's heat, they had become careless with their work and many of the tiny mandrake seedlings had began to let out tiny whimpers of pain as their little mishandled bodies were being shoved into mounds of soil.

Ron grabbed a tiny mandrake and roughly shoved it deep into the earth of his own pot, and a few moments later, he let out a sharp cry and extracted his hand to find that his finger was bleeding.

"The bloody thing bit me!" he growled angrily as he inspected his finger.

Hermione looked at him and rolled her eyes, "Well maybe if you weren't being so rough with them, they wouldn't need to bite back."

Ron's head tilted to Hermione, "You're one to talk. Look at your pot, you've gone and drown them all."

Hermione looked down at her own pot. It was true, there was so much water in her pot that the earth was over saturated and the excess water stayed sitting on the top of the soil, having no where else to go.

Hermione looked back at Ron who smirked at her. She stuck her tongue out at him and watched him walk away to the other end of the green house to go clean his bleeding finger off.

Hermione took this opportunity to mention the letter to Harry, something which she had been trying to do all day but never had a chance because of Ron's constant presence.

Hermione leaned over to Harry who was busy separating two mandrakes who wouldn't let go of each other.

"Harry, I need to ask a favor of you." whispered Hermione so the others at the table couldn't hear. Harry dropped the two mandrakes into his pot and looked up at Hermione.

"Well I can't explain it all to you right now," said Hermione as she kept a watchful eye on Ron to see when he would return, "but I got this weird letter today and I want to know if you can help me find out who wrote it. I just need you to promise me that you won't mention anything to Ron, because well, the letter isn't something he'd enjoy."

Harry saw the seriousness in Hermione's face and nodded. "You can tell me more later, when Ron leaves to set up for your dinner tonight." whispered Harry quickly as Ron approached the table.

Hermione quickly nodded and then sat upright in her chair and went back to her hopeless mess of an assignment.


	14. Dinner Under the Stars

-Dinner under the Stars-

Hermione sat at the small table that Ron had set up at the top of the astronomy tower, her eyes looking up at the many stars in the night's deep blue sky.

Ron had done such a wonderful job, covering the tower walls with wild flowers and scented candles which got Hermione in a happier mood than she had been when she had first reached the top of the tower.

He had even talked Professor McGonagall into allowing their dinner to be brought from the Great Hall up to the top of the tower, by none other than Dobby the house elf.

At first Hermione objected to the service but when Dobby insisted that it was the least he could do for Harry Potter's noble and caring friends, she gave in and found that she enjoyed the meal a lot better under a moonlit sky then she did in the Great hall surrounded by students.

It had been a great meal and Hermione had made sure to have lots of everything: Roast beef, corn, potatoes, chicken, broccoli and two helpings of rice pudding. Ron had laughed as he watched her eat, and she said embarrassedly, "What? I'm hungry."

She and Ron spent the whole time talking about quidditch, reliving some of their more passionate moments and enjoyed laughing about their many shared adventures with Harry, until of course their laughter died away as they thought about the pain and future that lay ahead for their best friend.

It was that thought that had reminded Hermione that somewhere, right now, Harry was roaming the castle underneath his cloak and carrying the key she had given him, trying to find Hermione's secret admirer.

Hermione stared up at the constellations with out really looking at them; her mind was filled with so many conflicting thoughts. One part of her mind kept wondering about this secret admirer, while another part reminded her about Ron sitting across from her.

_I know! __It's not like I'm going to dump him…I'm just curious as to what this secret admirer looks like. I mean, what if he is handsome?_ You mean more handsome then Ron. _No I Don't! Ron is truly handsome; I love his ginger hair and that cute devilish smirk that runs across his face…_ Yet you're thinking about a man you've never met. _I'm just curious, and it's not like I canceled this dinner tonight to run after him …_

Ron watched Hermione over the table. Her face was contorted in a mixture of expressions, and he could tell that even though she was looking at the stars, her mind was not with them.

He had been sure that he had planned a good night, their conversation went well and she had been holding his hand across the table, so she couldn't be mad at him. But her far off stare bothered him, and he needed to know if there was some way he could help.

"Hermione?" said Ron quietly.

Hermione twitched and then came back to life. She turned to him and smiled, but he wasn't going to be fooled that easily. "What's bothering you?"

"Me? Nothing." Said Hermione plainly, hoping to leave it at that. Ron gave her a disbelieving look. Hermione felt her insides tighten.

"I know something is wrong … but if you really don't want to talk about it …"

Hermione stared into Ron's face, a face full of compassion.

She could easily tell him, she could blurt it out right now. But how would he react when he found out that she had showed Harry the letter before she showed him, or how now she was thinking about a man she didn't know when she should have been kissing him?

"No, really Ron, everything's fine. I was just … missing my family, that's all. You know I haven't really seen them all that much, with school and then spending summers at your house – not that I don't enjoy staying at your house or anything, I'm just a little home sick, that's all."

It wasn't a total lie, but it wasn't the total truth either. But Ron seemed satisfied all the same. He smiled at her in a loving way, and propped himself on the table with his left arm.

They both spent their last twenty minutes on top of the astronomy tower staring up at the stars, both lost in their own thoughts, until McGonagall came to fetch them at exactly ten thirty.

* * *

"Are you alright! Did you get caught! What took you so long?" Hermione urgently whispered to the invisible figure which was Harry.

It was already well past midnight and she had been waiting for him ever since Ron had told her that Harry wasn't in bed.

"He's probably snuck off with Luna, don't worry 'Mione." Ron had yawned as he leaned in and kissed her on the cheek before closing the boys dormitory door.

Hermione had walked off to her own dorm, changed into her night gown, and then climbed quietly back down the spiral stairs and sat waiting for over an hour in the common room for Harry.

For the last fifteen minutes her eyes had become almost impossible to hold up, but when she heard the portrait swing open, she had jumped up, alert as ever and ran to the slump which had just sat down in a chair.

Harry pulled the cloak off of his head and stared into Hermione's worried eyes. "I didn't know you were going to wait up for me. I just came back from being with Luna." he apologized.

Hermione pulled back, folded her arms and rolled her eyes. "That's exactly what Ron said – anyways, what happened? Did you find out who it was?"

Harry shook his head and Hermione looked disappointed.

"Yeah I found the room alright. There's some kind of spell on this key," he explained as he pulled it out of his pocket to give to Hermione, "it gets warmer and warmer the closer you get to the room."

Hermione took the key and held it, it again was cold as ice. "Where is this room?"

"Up towards the Ravenclaw tower, it's an empty classroom with a few odd tables and chairs, but other wise pretty bare."

Hermione frowned. "So you didn't see him? You didn't see anyone."

"Well the room was empty. I got there pretty quick too and I stayed for over two hours but no one entered. But Hermione … do you think that maybe it was sent as a trick?" asked Harry.

Hermione looked up from the key to Harry.

"Because on my way there, I had to stay plastered against the walls to avoid bumping into all of the girls that were around." explained Harry "I'm not saying that it wasn't from a guy, it just seemed weird that so many girls would be hanging around in one hall all at once.

"And you know, if one of them had sent you that letter, it wouldn't have mattered if you made it to the room or not, just you walking down that hall on this night would have given them enough to gossip about."

Hermione looked back down at the key. She felt a flood of embarrassment rush over her and she closed the key tightly in her hand.

Of course, why hadn't she thought about that? Here she had been so quick to think that had been some good looking guy, when it had probably been just a couple of immature girls, trying to make Hermione's last year a bit harder…

And here she had fell for it, how embarrassed she was that she could have ever thought that she was liked by someone else…

Harry rose from his seat. "Are you okay?" he asked with a note of concern in his voice.

"Yeah …" lied Hermione, "…but Harry, do you think it's weird that I feel … well the thing is, when I was waiting for you, I started to imagine 'him'. I mean, as weird as that letter was, I felt flattered. Am I stupid for feeling that way?"

Hermione looked up and into Harry's eyes. The second she said it, she wished that she hadn't. But instead of criticizing her, Harry just smiled,

"No, you're not stupid Hermione. To be honest, if I got a letter like that, I would wonder about it too. And I think it's perfectly normal for you to feel flattered, you're a beautiful girl."

As Hermione stared at Harry she felt the weirdest feeling in her heart. It fluttered. The same way it did when she was around Ron.

Standing there, face to face with Harry, she was getting the strangest sensation.

She wanted to kiss him, and she didn't know why.

She had just told him something close to her heart, and he hadn't laughed, he hadn't judged her, he was supporting her. And the urge to kiss him was so strong, it was taking over all of her thoughts, and she could imagine herself doing it, just leaning forward and doing it…but what would he do in return?

As Hermione stood rooted to the spot with her head racing with thoughts, and her body with feelings and emotions, Harry smiled one last quick smile, said good-night and the left up the spiral stairs.

Hermione didn't move. She stayed put until all of her off-beat thoughts were out of her head and her body was clear of primitive feelings and urges. And then her guilt slipped in to take its place.

_What the hell is the matter with me? What if I had kissed him? What would happen then? How could I be so stupid! Why was I feeling that way anyways? I don't like him, do I? ... No, no…so why did I want to kiss him so badly? Was it just because he was nice to me, at a time when I was feeling to stupid? Yes, that must be it. I was just at a weak point and Harry happened to be the one who was there to offer a kind word._

Hermione nodded in agreement with her own thoughts, and the quickly climbed the spiral stairs and headed off to bed before she could analyze it anymore.


	15. October 15

**A/N **I just wanted to say thank you to everyone who has taken the time to read my fanfiction, and extra thanks to everyone who has taken the time to write reviews. I check my reviews everyday and I am so happy when I get a new one, whether it be good or bad. I really do value what you guys have to say, and I just want to thank you for taking the time to write. Gabrielle004

* * *

-October 15-

The more time the trio spent at Hogwarts, the more it felt like home again, and things were quickly falling back into its normal rhythm.

Of course there were some few changes, what with Ron and Hermione holding hands in the hallway, and Harry spending more time with Luna, but all in all the first month and a half of school had passed by with out much disruption.

They had also realized that this last year at Hogwarts was going to be the toughest year of all.

Firstly they had to sit their NEWTs, which was enough to make a person hyperventilate at the thought. Second they had to survive through the mounds of homework which was being dumped on them every day. And thirdly, their future outside of Hogwarts was right around the corner.

Ron woke up early on the morning of October 15 and he lay in bed staring up at the fabric above him, lost in happy thoughts and plans for Christmas…

The Saturday morning sun was quickly rising higher and higher in the sky, bringing with it a steady increase of sunlight into the dark dorm.

Ron heard a groan and looked over at Harry in the bed beside him. Harry had his glasses on but his eyes were squeezed shut. Ron heard him whisper, "Do we really have to practice today?"

Ron smirked, "Well you know, you are the captain. You _could_ cancel today's practice …"

Harry turned and frowned at Ron. "No … we have to practice. Ginny has to get used to swerving the bludgers, and the Creevey brothers have to practice their aim."

Ron grimaced as he remembered their last quidditch practice, when Colin Creevey's poor aim sent a bludger flying at Harry's head.

Ron nodded, "Yup. I'm damn glad it's you who has to put up with them and not me. I would have quit months ago."

Harry smiled and then the two boys dressed quietly into their quidditch robes, grabbed their brooms and headed for the pitch.

* * *

Hermione sat in the stands with Luna, both of them sipping on hot chocolate. The hot cups warmed their cold hands as the liquid heated them up from the inside. They had been sitting there for more than an hour, watching the Gryffindor team practice for their upcoming match against Slytherin. 

Luna's eyes kept circling around as she watched Harry instruct Ginny how to veer the bludgers that Colin and his brother Dennis were bouncing back and forth, while Hermione's gaze focused on the farthest end were Ron was blocking shots by teammates Lara and Samantha.

Hermione was very cold and was beginning to wonder if the practice would ever come to an end when she heard a whistle blow in the distance. Harry had stopped the training and was motioning for the team to join him in the middle of the pitch.

Luna leaned back against the bench behind her and turned to Hermione. "I guess it's coming to an end. About time too," Hermione nodded as Luna began to rub her own arms vigorously.

A few moments later, Ron had landed next to Hermione in the benches. He smiled and leaned in to kiss her cheek. Hermione's soft skin felt so warm against his cold lips, and he slowly felt the heat traveling through his body.

"Well, there's no point for you girls to stay here any longer," explained Ron as he pulled away from Hermione. "Harry still wants to go over some strategy aspects with us inside the changing rooms. It might take a while…"

Hermione frowned, "Okay, well I guess I'll see you later then." She got up and kissed Ron hard on the lips, the heat of it quickly warmed her up.

When she pulled away, Ron had a huge grin on his face. He then mounted his broom and flew over to the Gryffindor changing rooms.

Hermione and Luna walked back to the castle and separated in the entrance hall.

"Well, I guess I'll be getting up stairs. Tell Harry I'll see him in the Great Hall for lunch." Luna added as she nodded good-bye to Hermione and then headed up the stairs towards the Ravenclaw tower.

Hermione stood in the entrance hall, trying to think of something to do. She was still awfully cold and the idea of taking a hot bubble bath in the prefect's baths sounded marvelous, so she quickly made her way up the stairs and to the common room ...


	16. Mixed Emotions

-Mixed Emotions-

When Hermione reached her bed, she was about to grab some towels and a change of clothes when she noticed a white envelope on her sheets. She slowly picked up the familiar looking paper and searched the room.

No one was in the dormitory but her. She sat down on her bed and looked at the envelope in her hands. _How did this get here?_

She hesitated, but the longer the paper lay in her hands the more her head ached with curiosity.

Her fingers slowly opened the envelope to revel a letter which read:

Her name is Hermione,

I want to grab her heine.

I know I may sound whiney,

But I don't really care.

Her breasts look soft and squishy,

Her hair is big and bushy.

I know this may sound pushy,

But take off your underwear.

I want to lick your ("Oh My Word!")

Touch and taste every bit.

And then rub it on your tit,

I'm so horny, it's not fair.

Hermione sat on her bed with her mouth gaping wide, and her eyes nearly out of their sockets.

After a few moments of shock, her brain finally kicked in, _This has got to be a joke. A cruel, mean, sick joke! I mean really, who would write such gross, disgusting…._ And as she thought she rose and started to crumple the letter with anger, _…rude comments to someone! And they **must** know that I'm dating Ron! I mean the nerve!_

Hermione grabbed for her suitcase underneath her bed, kicked it open and threw the crumpled letter into the case, along with the previous letter that she had kept. She pushed the suitcase back under the bed with her foot, and then threw herself onto her bed.

She laid there, arms crossed and fuming, but after a few minutes of anger and rage, she couldn't decide what she was mad about.

Was it the fact that some one was playing a sick joke on her? Or, was she mad that this mystery person really did not exist?

After the talk that she had had with Harry on the night of her birthday, she had quickly convinced herself that this mystery person was in a single or group of girls, planning to make Hermione's last year at Hogwarts as embarrassing as possible.

But it was her secret hope, a very secret one that only popped up in late night dreams, that this mystery man actually did exist.

And the strange thing was Hermione was never really sure why she was so attracted to such a man, when she had a perfectly fine man already.

It was true, Ron was more than Hermione could ever ask for; he was good looking, funny, kind and caring, and so many other things, not to mention one of her best friends.

And had he not made her a promise?

She looked down at the ring on her finger, the only piece of jewelry she wore, and remembered Ron saying, "I promise to be faithful"

_But I am faithful!_ She thought back angrily, _I haven't done anything wrong! I do love Ron; I love him with all of my heart, but…_

But this mystery man gave Hermione something that Ron could not at the moment give; he gave her sex.

The sex wasn't real of course, as it only occurred in dreams. But those dreams were so real at times that Hermione had woken up in the middle of the night with such a pleasurable sensation between her legs that she was scared that she might have been moaning in her sleep.

Of course she did find it odd, that she was having sexual dreams about a man she knew nothing about instead of Ron, and she truly did feel ashamed; during the day.

But when night time came, and Hermione lay in her bed with the curtains drawn around her, she hoped and prayed for another visit from her mystery man, one that would satisfy her sexual needs.

For now that she had experienced it with Ron, the need to have sex was constantly on her mind. It was such a strange thing. Before, when she was a virgin, she thought about sex, but not in the way she did now.

Before it was something to imagine; something to picture and guess about.

But now she felt it, felt it with her whole body. She wanted it, needed it, it was like a drug that you just couldn't stop taking.

When she had expressed these yearnings with Ron, he had admitted that he had the same cravings, but of course he had a way of dealing with them.

When he suggested that Hermione do the same, she at first put off the idea, and then ended up trying it, but became sexually frustrated because she could not achieve the same high that she got from sex.

Of course the dreams were not completely satisfying either; they merely gave her a high for those few short moments after she awoke.

But those moments, as rare as they were, were to be cherished. They made her feel like a woman… they made her feel sexy and comfortable in her own skin…

They made her feel wanted.

What a feeling it was to feel wanted, to feel attractive and pretty, to know that men wanted you and needed you. And that was the feeling she got from those dreams and those few glorious moments in the morning. It was something she really couldn't explain or express, it was embedded deep within her soul.

And as Hermione lay on her bed, her mind running with a million thoughts, feelings, emotions and urges, she didn't notice the owl that was perched outside of one of the dorm windows.


	17. Halloween Feast

-Halloween Feast-

It was Halloween Evening and all of the students and teachers were inside the Great Hall, enjoying a fantastic feast. There was of course all of the usual foods; beef, chicken, potatoes, carrots, buttery corn and other greens. But the best part was all of the interesting chocolates and candies, malt drinks and decorations.

Twelve huge pumpkins floated in mid air, all with carved faces and lit within by orange candles. Live bats also flew high around the ceiling and there were skeletons walking amongst the students, serving blood-colored pop drinks with gummy spiders floating inside.

When a passing skeleton offered Ron a drink, he declined, having no desire to drink anything which contained spiders. Hermione laughed, "They're not real Ron," she said as she grabbed one for herself.

Ron's face cringed as he watched Hermione take a big gulp of the drink and allowed one of the spiders to escape into her mouth. She swallowed the liquid and then stuck out her tongue, exposing the gummy black spider that rested on it.

Ron sneered, "Yuck! They look so real! That's _disgusting_!"

Hermione laughed. She quickly chewed and swallowed the spider and then leaned close to Ron, "Okay, now give me a big kiss…" Ron pulled away and Hermione giggled as she pulled Ron into a hug.

He smiled and kissed her on the cheek instead, which only made her giggle some more.

The entire school, having finished the meal proportion of the feast, was now into playing tricks on each other with all of the various candies and goodies that were lying around.

Ron, Hermione and Harry were trying to decipher a bag of Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans when Dumbledore rose in his seat at the teacher's table. Almost immediately the entire room became quiet.

"Well…this has been a lovely Halloween feast as always, but I think it is time that we all head to bed. Of course feel free to sneak away with as many candies and chocolates you like," Dumbledore winked at the students who quickly stuffed their pockets with Bertie's beans, Drooble's gum and the few unopened chocolate frogs.

An hour later, every Hogwarts teacher and student was fast asleep, but Hermione Granger was having a most peculiar dream…


	18. Unexpected

-Unexpected-

…He picked her up and she wrapped her bare legs around his exposed midriff and threw her arms around his neck and began to finger his rich hair. He kissed her, deep and hard and walked towards the nearest wall, stepping over beaded cushions as he went…

…Hermione felt her body touch a wall, it was cool on her exposed back and sent tingles down her spine. She held onto him tighter as he let go of her and began to undo the knot of her nightgown that was behind her neck…

… she moaned low and deep as he slowly let the silky material slid down her hardened nipples. He smiled and grabbed her butt hard as he slid her body higher against the wall, and then lowered his head a touch so he could enjoy her bare bosom…

…her breasts were tender and swollen, and as he flicked her nipples with the tip of his tongue the sensation was doubled because of the sensitivity of them…

…she felt the heat rise in her cheeks, and she suppressed a whimper of pleasure. She wanted to moan loudly and enjoy it, but she didn't want to be caught.

He raised his head and she stared into his green eyes, green eyes that looked so familiar, as he said, "Don't be shy, don't be scared… I love it when you moan. It turns me on," he explained and then quickly returned to her right breast.

Hermione was worried, she didn't want to be caught by Professor Trelawney; having sex in the divination class room was not an acceptable after class activity, but he suddenly spoke, "Don't worry about it. She won't come; I've made sure of it…"

Hermione took his word and let out another, unsuppressed, whimper of sheer pleasure. And true to his word, he seemed immediately turned on as he raised his head from her chest, and removed his left hand from under her butt and began to undo his belt…

…a moment later, he slowly lowered her body against the wall and moved in closer. She spread her legs a touch wider, her privates emitting such heat between her legs and a wetness she had never felt before…

…and then he entered her, deep and thick, as he reached for the very back…

…he quickly filled her up but he was enormous, too much of a good thing…

…he grabbed her butt tight as he began to thrust hard and fast, she cried out and pressed her hands on the hard wall behind her. She let her hands rub the wall, up and down as he rocked her body…

…he was getting faster and harder every second, more determined with every thrust, and it was starting to hurt…

…he was big… he was hard… he was more than she could handle…

Hermione stirred in her bed, she was still partially dreaming, but her stomach was beginning to toss and turn severely.

She was heating up; beads of sweat were falling from her forehead.

And then, with a sudden jerk, she woke up and shot up in her bed. She took a harsh gasp of air, leaned over the side of her bed, and puked.

She held herself on the end of the bed; her arms were about to give up on her, she was so weak. She stayed leaning over the side of her bed, mouth partially open, trying to clam her stomach down and stop her head from pounding…

And then she puked again.

This time Lavender Brown woke up by the sound, and when she realized what was happening, she quickly rushed over to Hermione.

Lavender crawled onto Hermione's bed, and pulled back her hair. She gasped when her hand brushed against Hermione's face, "Hermione, you're so hot! What's wrong!"

Hermione pulled herself slowly back onto the bed.

She sat upright for a few moments until she felt it -

Hard, stabbing pains. Pain in her body like daggers, deep and twisting, getting worse by the second.

She bent over and clutched her stomach as she whispered to Lavender, "Get Madam Pomfrey…"

Lavender looked scared, but rushed off and out of the dormitory right away.

Hermione sat on her bed for what seemed a life time.

The pain was getting worse and she was resisting the urge to howl in agony; she didn't want to wake up the rest of her dorm mates.

Thinking about leaving the dorm as quickly as possible, she removed her right arm from around her waist, and slowly removed the blankets that were still on top of her legs.

She almost screamed at the sight.

Blood, on her sheets, on her legs, coming from…

Madam Pomfrey suddenly burst into the room, followed by Professor McGonagall and a petrified Lavender. Hermione gawked at them, speechless and scared.

With a swish of McGonagall's wand, a stretcher appeared out of thin air and Madam Pomfrey and Lavender rushed forward and helped Hermione lay on it.

Hermione closed her eyes, her body still hurt and the pain seemed to echo in her ears.

As her body floated out of the common room and towards the hospital wing, Hermione heard the voices of Madam Pomfrey and McGonagall, but they sounded very distant, worried but very far away…

Hermione kept her eyes closed the whole way, the pain made it impossible for her to see properly anyways.

It was only until she felt the stretcher come to a halt did she open her eyes to see that she was in the hospital wing, very close to one of the beds.

The two woman helped Hermione onto the bed and then they leaned in close to the girl, both of them with worried expressions, McGonagall was the first to speak,

"Hermione dear, I know you're in a lot of pain, but you're going to have to help us here."

Hermione nodded as she clutched onto her stomach and slowly rocked back and forth, suppressing screams of horrible anguish.

McGonagall looked over at Madam Pomfrey, "Can't you give her something for the pain, Poppy?"

Poppy grimaced, "We have to know for sure if it is what we think it is…"

McGonagall nodded and looked back down on Hermione, "Hermione, dear, have you had any, unprotected sexual intercourse?"

Hermione's ears perked up, her body froze and her heart stopped rushing, it almost stopped all together.

"Why?" she asked worriedly.

The two women looked at each other, and then Madam Pomfrey rushed off.

Hermione turned to McGonagall, "What's wrong? Why am I hurting so much? Why is their blood Professor?" she whispered.

McGonagall frowned, "Because my dear, you're having a miscarriage."

Hermione's heart did stop this time, as well as the pain. The pain in her belly was still there, but she was so terrified that she could no longer feel it, she went completely numb.

She opened her mouth, but no words came out. Madam Pomfrey came suddenly into view with a needle. McGonagall nodded at Poppy, and then turned back to Hermione.

"Don't worry dear, everything will be alright…" said Poppy as she pierced Hermione's right arm with the needle.

Hermione sat there, with a glazed expression, not a thought running through her head. She felt someone slowly push her back onto the bed,

And then her ears failed to hear, her eyes failed to see, and her body gently slipped into an unconscious state…


	19. Hermione's Guilt

**A/N -****BECAUSE I LOVE U GUYS SOOOO MUCH, I decided that I would't let you guys wait too long for the next couple of chapters because it's hitting the climax and I know how frustrating it is when you have to wait for it. Hope you guys like what's developing! Please Review and let me know!**

**Much Love - Gab**

* * *

-Hermione's Guilt -

It was Sunday morning, nine o'clock and Harry and Ron had tried to see Hermione three times already. Each time Madam Pomfrey had turned them away, and finally on the third time, Ron freaked,

"What do you mean I can't see her! I don't even know what happened to her! All Lavender said was that she hadn't been feeling well last night around one o'clock, what happened!"

Madam Pomfrey didn't take well to beginning yelled at. She straightened her back and gave Ron a very stern look.

"Now you listen here young man! I understand that you are worried, but I assure you she is fine! Now please remove yourself from this door way and stop screaming before you make her even more sick!"

Ron's face filled with guilt and he swallowed a lump in his throat. The last thing he wanted to do was make Hermione even sicker.

He nodded to Madam Pomfrey and turned away with Harry. They heard the sharp click of the hospital doors closing behind them and Ron felt his heart sink even deeper.

"Don't worry, Ron." Said Harry as he placed his hand on his friends shoulder,

"I'm sure she'll be fine. If Madam Pomfrey can fix me up, what with all of the garbage my body goes through, I know Hermione will be fine."

* * *

Hermione sat in the hospital wing alone. All was quiet. She had been told by Madam Pomfrey two hours ago that Ron and Harry had come to see her, and Hermione was glad that she had sent them away. 

She didn't want to speak with anyone…..

There were a few things Hermione needed to figure out, firstly, how could she have been pregnant and not have known?

She spent hours thinking back on the past ten weeks, Madam Pomfrey had told her the baby had been about that old, and Hermione realized that there had been signs.

The first sign, lack of a period, really didn't help much, seeing as Hermione's periods were never really on time anyways and it wasn't completely unusually for her to go five or six weeks with out one.

But there were other signs too. They were smaller signs; her breasts were getting very swollen and tender, she had been craving things and had been eating quite a bit more, but no matter how small these signs may seem now, Hermione couldn't help feeling guilty.

She couldn't help feeling that if her mind had been clear of a certain person, she would have noticed something, and it was this feeling of guilt that made her not want to speak to anyone.

In all truth, Hermione was ashamed, not as much about losing the baby; she completely understood that there was nothing she could have done, but about not knowing that she was pregnant in the first place, and more importantly, lying to Ron.

She was after all going to tell him everything. Every last detail, about the letters, her dreams, and the miscarriage, and she wasn't sure which one he'd take harder.

She had decided that it was only right to tell him about the letters. It was an awful thing that she had not been giving her full self to him, and instead had been coaxing an affair with an unknown mystery man.

She felt a huge amount of shame, and could only hope that he would understand and would be willing to forgive her.

But every time she glanced down at the beautiful promise ring on her finger, she was sure that he would,

Of course he would; he loved her, always loved her, "always have and always will", right?

Madam Pomfrey came around the corner of one of folding doors, carrying a tray of food. She was pleased to see that Hermione smiled at her and responded, "Well, good to see that you're feeling better. How are you doing on your road to recovery?"

Hermione nodded slowly as she found her voice, "Good, I guess. Well as good as you can be in a situation like this… It's just really strange, to feel this much pain and sadness over something that I didn't even know was there…"

Madam Pomfrey smiled and nodded, "Well my dear… that is one of the mysteries of women. Even though you had no idea that you were pregnant, the loss of child affected you just as hard as it would affect an expecting mother."

Hermione nodded, "I do feel alright… I just feel really embarrassed," she admitted and quickly looked down to the white sheets covering her legs, "I'm probably the first student to ever become pregnant."

Madam Pomfrey smiled and said, "No you're not child, and you won't be the last either."

Hermione looked up with surprise and Poppy continued, "Yes well, it's not something that we enjoy dealing with, but deal with it we must. Not to worry though, Professor McGonagall has spoken with Miss Brown and she has sworn not to say a word to anyone about the details of what happened. And neither I nor Minerva will say anything, and of course neither will Dumbledore."

Hermione's eyes widened, this was something she had not expected. Madam Pomfrey quickly explained, "Well we _had_ to tell him, he is after all the headmaster! But not to worry dear, everything will be just fine.

"Now," she said looking more serious, "_I _suggest that you stay here for at least, the very least, one more night. But Professor McGonagall thinks it will be alright for you to leave now if you wish, seeing as most of your fellow Gryffindors will be away at Hogsmeade, you should be able to sneak into your dorm without too many questions and curious glances."

Hermione was happy to hear this. She wanted to get out of the hospital wing and back to her dorm, a place were she could read books or play with Crookshanks, any thing to take her mind off of last night for a while.

Madam Pomfrey saw the smile on Hermione's face, "Well I see that you're not going to take my advice. At least finish your meal dear, you need to eat something."


	20. Ron's Reaction

-Ron's Reaction -

Ron sat on Hermione's bed, alone in the girl's dormitory. He had two pieces of parchment in his hand, one smooth, and the other crumpled. He had read these letters over and over and over again, every word eating away at his heart.

He couldn't believe what was happening, he couldn't move and he couldn't speak.

It had all started two hours ago, when Ron and Harry had seen Malfoy walking away from the hospital wing, looking worried but angry. Harry and Ron had exchanged curious glances, and then headed towards the hospital doors, hoping that maybe Madam Pomfrey was letting in visitors.

When Ron and Harry reached Draco, he looked up at them and said, "She won't let anyone else in… I only had five minutes with her…"

Ron was confused, "What do you mean you only had five minutes with her? Who did you see?"

Draco smirked, "Hermione of course. The girl isn't doing too well, and when she didn't meet me for lunch today, I knew something was wrong."

Ron was on the verge of punching Malfoy in the face, when Harry grabbed the back of his robes and held him back. Ron's face was full of anger, "What the _hell_ do you mean by that, Malfoy? Why would she be seeing you?"

Draco smirked, "Weasley, you can be _so_ blind! Even Potter knows about the letters, don't you Potter?"

Harry froze; the wheels in his head turning, while Ron stood frozen beside him, waiting for Harry to answer.

Draco's smug expression bounced from one boy to the other, and then an evil grin broke out on his lips. "And here I thought you were just being clingy, but you really have no clue…"

He then walked off, pleased to see that the two boys were completely dumb founded.

Ron had turned to Harry at this point, "What the hell is he taking about Harry? What letters? ...and why do you look so shocked?"

Harry had taken a deep breath, and then explained the whole thing to Ron.

Ron had listened, trying to keep quiet and when Harry had finished explaining how Hermione had agreed that it must have been a group of mean girls who had sent the letter, Ron replied,

"But that doesn't make any sense… she agreed that it was a bunch of girls, right? So why did Malfoy make it seem like… hang on, he said letters , why did he say letters if you said there was only one?"

Harry having no explanation at all, had spun Ron around and headed for the Gryffindor tower.

After coaxing Parvati Patil to let the boys come up the stairs, (they said they suspected Hermione had been poisoned), Ron began searching through all of Hermione's things.

Parvati had been watching Ron terrorize Hermione's belongings, and was about to stop him when Harry stepped in and lead Parvati out of the room, mumbling about how determined Ron was to find a trace of poison.

Ron had finished going through all of Hermione's books, when he notice a suitcase sticking out from underneath the bed. It was then that he found the letters.

That had been an hour ago. An hour of rereading these letters, an hour alone in the girl's dormitory because everyone was now off at Hogsmeade; it had been the worst hour of his life.

How funny it was, how quickly one's world could be ripped out from under them… how quickly all of your hopes, dreams and plans for the future could all take a sudden, unexpected nose dive…

He sat there, full of sorrow and despair.

What had happened to them? He had treated her well, hadn't he?

He loved her, cared for her, even made love to her, and that… that wasn't enough?

How could she do this to him?

He trusted her, never questioned her, and always believed that she loved him just as much as he loved her…

_What does Malfoy have that I don't? Money? Is that really it? For Merlin's sake, he called her a mudblood! And now they're,_ Ron looked down at the crumpled letter and grimaced.

And suddenly, with a turn of the dormitory handle, his heart stopped as Hermione walked into the room and paused just through the doorway.

They stared at each other, both speechless, and then she slowly smiled.

"Ron…what are you doing in here?" she asked quietly, looking a little nervous.

It happened, quickly and without much effort. All of his sadness turned into hate. All of his despair turned into anger, and he rose off of the bed, with the letters still in his hand.

He saw her eyes dart quickly to his hand, and then widen, and that was enough confirmation for him. She looked into his eyes, her face began to flush and her words were shaky, "Look Ron, I can explain,"

"Oh I bet you can." He said slowly and clearly, with a mocking voice that didn't sound like his own, "What are you going to tell me, huh? Anything interesting? Oh but please, spare me the details of your sexual encounters with him and about how great he was at pleasing you."

Hermione looked hurt, "Ron look, it's not what you think! I swear, it's not as bad as you think!"

"Not as bad as I think! Are you joking Hermione? IT'S EXACTLY AS BAD AS I THINK!" he roared as his anger took control of him.

Hermione didn't speak, she was terrified. This was not the way she wanted Ron to find out, defiantly not the way…

He was so angry, she had never seen him this way before. His blue eyes where sending daggers at her, his expression was almost one of murder.

And the more she looked at him, the more her heart ached, because she knew that she had brought on this pain.

Ron watched her expression and smirked, "Oh that's right, you're going to act all innocent, aren't you? Tell me how sorry you are, how you never meant to be unfaithful…tell me something Hermione, if you've been unfaithful to me, then why still wear the ring, huh? If my promise to you didn't mean anything, then why still wear it?"

Hermione looked down at her hand and noticed that it was shaking.

What was she doing, allowing Ron to yell at her like this? Sure she had made a mistake, but he was throwing it _way_ out of proportion.

"Why do I still wear the ring, Ron, why? Because I love you, that's why! But I don't know why you're making such a big deal about this, I can explain every-"

Ron threw back his head and laughed a crazy sort of laugh, "Why am I making a big deal? Hmmm…." He said as he mockingly placed his free left hand on his chin.

"Why am I making a **big deal** about my girlfriend, no no no, not just my girlfriend, the **love **of my **life**, screwing another guy? I don't know? Do you have any ideas?" he asked mockingly and wide eyed to Hermione.

Hermione's stomach was beginning to toss and she was getting sick of his attitude.

She tried to be calm and mature as she said, "Ronald Weasley, don't you dare treat me like a child! If you want answers, I'll give you answers, but you have to stop yelling at me and act like an adult!"

Ron stared at her across the room, his blue eyes cold and narrowed with a look that could kill.

But as he stared at her in silence, he realized that he had had enough. He could no longer be in the same room with her, it was too much…

Too much pain, too much hate and too much disappointment.

He hung his head, holding back the tears that were starting to form and fighting to keep his voice even,

"That's where you're wrong Hermione; I am the adult in this relationship." He said in a clear and calm voice,

"If you lose interest in me, you come and tell me so. You don't play me for a fool. Run off and spend time with another man behind my back; I would have **never**, **ever** done that to you."

He let go of the letters in his right hand and let them slowly glide to the floor before he headed towards her and out the door.

But instead of walking right out, he paused in front of her, needing to say this one last thing,

"And to think, I was planning on asking you to marry me at Christmas time."

Hermione swallowed hard when she heard this, but she said nothing.

Ron opened the door and left, closing the door shut behind him.

Hermione didn't move.

Her head was spinning, her heart was racing, her stomach was worse than an ocean storm, and before she knew it – she puked all over the floor.

She whipped her mouth on the back of her hand, and then reached for her wand.

"Scourgify." She half choked as she cleaned up the mess.

Hearing the sound of her voice must have awaken her from her numb state, because she suddenly ran to her bed, picked up the letters and tore them angrily into pieces.

She then placed the bits into her cauldron that was beside her bed, and lit them on fire.

She watched the red flames eat up the paper as a river of tears fell down her crimson cheeks.

_This is too much for one person to handle in a day, way too much_, thought Hermione as she lay down on her bed, pulled the curtains around her, and cried herself to sleep.


	21. The Weasel

-The Weasel-

It was Monday morning, a week after her fight with Ron, and Hermione was again sitting alone in the Defense Against the Dark Arts class. Harry and Ron were seated five rows ahead, and not once had Ron turned around to look at her.

It had been like this for the past week, both Ron and Harry were ignoring her, but today her heart was really doing some deadly flips.

It had been just an hour earlier, when up in the Gryffindor common room, did Hermione open up her arithmancy text to have a scrap piece of parchment fall out from the middle of the book and onto her lap.

She had picked it up and read "Hermione Granger loves Ronald Weasley" written over and over again, in her own scrawl. The paper had set off a waterworks of tears.

Hermione sat now in the DADA classroom, staring at the back of Ron's head, hoping that he would turn around, but he wouldn't.

Professor Seresin was busy discussing the topic of dementors and Hermione was having a hard time taking notes, her mind kept wondering off…

_Why won't he look at me? Is he still really that mad? But it was only dreams… I mean I know I should have been truthful about the letters, I know now that I should have told him, but really, they were just dreams and fantasies… if he would only be willing to listen, I could explain everything… even Ginny won't talk to me… if only he'd give me a chance…_

"Miss Granger?" said Professor Seresin for the third time.

Hermione twitched and came back to life.

She looked up and saw that the professor was right beside her, and the whole class had turned around to look at her. She looked up embarrassedly at her teacher and he replied,

"I was wondering if you could demonstrate the Patronus charm for the class,"

Hermione blinked, the patronus charm? Now? Now at a time when she herself felt like a million dementors were closing in on her?

"I …I don't know, Professor… it's not really all that good…" She lied. She could see her classmates watching her out of the corner of her eye.

Seresin smiled, oblivious to Hermione's sadden expression, "Oh come now! I hear that you can produce a fully formed patronus! I believe it takes the form of a …weasel is it?" he asked innocently.

Hermione thought she was going to cry.

She really didn't want to perform the charm in front of the class, firstly because she couldn't think of a single happy thought, and secondly, she was now scared that he patronus might have actually changed shape into a weasel, to reflect her feelings for Ron.

Hermione gulped down the lump in her throat and said slightly above a whisper, "No, my patronus is an otter, Professor, but I'd rather not try right now…"

Seresin looked closer at Hermione's face and apparently saw the depression that rested there, for he quickly said "Oh well …that's all right, I'll demonstrate myself then…." and quickly returned to the front of the class.

Hermione looked up the rows to Ron and saw that his ears were bright red, but his body and neck looked completely stiff, and Hermione was sure that he hadn't turned around once.

Harry however turned at that very moment and gave her a small, uncertain smile.

Hermione was shocked, this was the first time that Harry had really communicated with her all week, not that she had expected him too.

She knew that he was trying to support Ron the best he could, but she had become worried that maybe Harry had been mad at her for getting him involved with the letter.

But this weary smile gave her a little ray of hope, and helped her get through the rest of the class…


	22. The Missing Pieces

-The Missing Pieces-

"Can I talk to you?" whispered Hermione to Harry. She had noticed Harry had been extra slow at packing his bag after DADA, and Hermione took this opportunity to speak with him.

The classroom was completely empty. Everyone had rushed out and ran to the Great Hall for lunch, even Professor Seresin had left. Hermione stood at the front of the class, holding on tight to her text books as though they were a shield. She was scared that Harry might yell at her.

Harry looked up and into her worried face and said in a monotone voice, "Well, that is why I stayed behind," Hermione slowly nodded but Harry frowned,

"Look Hermione, I know that this really has nothing to do with me, but I…" Harry shook his head, "I don't understand why you did it."

"I didn't mean too!" defended Hermione, "It just sort of happened… I know that it doesn't really make much sense, even I don't get it, but I couldn't control my emotions…"

Harry frowned, "Well if you really didn't like Ron, why not tell him? Why did you have to cheat on him?"

Hermione looked at Harry with furrowed eyebrows, "Well, first of all, I'm not exactly sure that what I did constitutes as cheating,"

Harry's eyes widened, "_Hermione_, you've been screwing around with Malfoy! How is that _not _cheating?"

Hermione's face froze in a speechless expression, "Excuse me? Did you just say that _I've_ been messing around with Malfoy? _Draco Malfoy_! What the _hell _are you talking about Harry?"

Harry rolled his eyes, "Look Hermione, you don't have to lie. Malfoy already told Ron and me that he was the one who sent you those letters, and that you were supposed to meet him last Saturday for lunch."

"When did he tell you this?" said Hermione, her mind was now racing and the puzzle was coming together.

"Last week, when we tried to get into the hospital wing to see you. He told us that he had just spoken to you and that you weren't doing so well and -HERMIONE, WHERE ARE YOU GOING !" yelled Harry for Hermione was now running out of the classroom and to the great hall…


	23. The Snake

-The Snake-

_That fucking bastard! **HE** sent those disgusting letters to me! **He's** the one who made me want something else - some**one **else! **He's** the reason Ron hates me! The reason I lost my baby! That little shit in going to pay! He likes to hurt other people, to destroy their lives and make them suffer, well now it's his turn to suffer!_

She reached the entrance hall and threw the books that she had been carrying to the ground.

She dug her hand into her robes and whipped out her wand, and then with a great surge of rage, threw open both of the big oak doors and exposed the Great Hall.

Inside the hall was packed with students, laughing loudly and eating lunch, but there was not a teacher was in sight.

Hermione scanned the room and paid little attention to the students close to the doors that were staring at her and whispering. Her heart was pounding so loud that she could hear it in her ears.

She looked like a total mad woman standing in the door way of the Great Hall, her face flushed and her chest heaving; her hair was wild looking and her eyes were on fire.

But her outside appearance was nothing compared to the way she was felt inside.

There was no positive light inside of her, she was acting on intense feelings of anger and hate, and she did not try to hold back at all.

She didn't care if she got expelled from Hogwarts for what she was about to do, just as long as she could kill Malfoy first.

And then, she saw him.

Draco; sitting at the Slytherin table close to the front of the hall, laughing with his friends…

The sight drove her mad.

How dare he be happy! He had turned her life upside down, and now, now he sat with his friends, no doubt laughing at her mess of a life…

Her eyes narrowed and she gripped firmly on her wand as she stormed towards him, down the aisle between the Slytherin and Ravenclaw tables.

She was marching towards him, her wand pointed at him from a quickly closing distance. Many students had stopped eating and were now watching her, but she didn't care. Her glare was only on one man…

She was only a few feet from him now and she thundered across the hall, "YOU WORTHLESS, EVIL, HEARTLESS LITTLE **SNAKE**!"

At this moment she had reached him, and she savagely grabbed his collar and spun him around in his seat.

Students began to scream and everyone was up off their seats trying to get a better look as Hermione dug her wand tip into Malfoy's neck.

Draco stared up and sneered at her, daring her to do it. She looked into his eyes, eyes she recognized from her dream, cold and green, shining in the light of the candles hanging above.

She leaned in closer to his face, she was right on top of him, towering over him; her face inches from his and her wand still pressed against his neck.

"How _dare_ you do this to me! You _worthless_ little fuck! How dare you control me, trick me and play with me!"

"HERMIONE!"

Hermione tilted her head to the left and saw Harry standing in the doorway of the Great Hall, he was red faced and looked like he had just ran after her.

Seeing that she had paused and noticed him, he quickly ran down the aisle, but stopped when Hermione pulled away from Draco but did not remove her wand from his neck.

"Leave it Harry! This has nothing to do with you!"

"But it has to do with me." said Ron.

Hermione whipped her body the other way, and saw Ron standing to her right. He was a few feet away from her, and he was looking her right in the eyes.

As she stood there she felt her body slowly relax until Malfoy said, "Weasley, get your insane girlfriend off of me!"

Hermione's head snapped back and she glared at Malfoy, all of her anger quickly returning,

"How dare you play tricks on me! I should have known Halloween night! I should have known then!"

Draco smirked, "I have no idea what you're talking about. And if you don't remove your wand from my neck, I'll snap your arm in two."

Hermione smiled, she suddenly had a very good idea, "Get your ass up Malfoy, we're going for a little walk."

Draco glared at her, and then reluctantly got off of his seat. Hermione, keeping her wand sharp at his neck, gave a quick nod at both Ron and Harry, and then steered Draco out of the Hall.


	24. His Secret Talent

-His Secret Talent-

Ron and Harry followed closely behind Hermione and Draco, both of them had their wands out now, but were unsure who to point them at, Draco or Hermione?

As Hermione lead Draco down into the dungeons she hoped beyond hope that no teacher would try and get in her way, and much to her luck, they made it to Snape's office without meeting a single teacher or student.

Hermione told Harry to unlock Snape's door and he did, and then she pointed Draco inside.

Snape's office was dark and quiet, and frankly quite creepy, but it was, luckily, empty as well. Hermione motioned Draco to sit down on one of the chairs and although she was a few feet away, she kept her wand pointed at his heart. When she heard Ron close the office door behind them and lock it, she said smiling,

"Harry, I need you to find a nice **big** bottle of veritaserum, Draco here is for once, going to tell the truth, whether he likes it or not."

Draco's face suddenly took on a terrified expression, and he watched Harry out of the corner of his eye.

Ron, who had been quiet the entire way here, stepped forward and stood beside Hermione.

He had no idea what was going on, but that didn't matter. He didn't care about how much pain she had put him threw a week before, he was going to stand by her… because that's the kind of thing you do when you love someone…

Hermione felt Ron's hand gently touch her arm, and she blinked a couple of times, feeling her normal self starting to come back. But before she could get too comfortable, Harry walked up to her and handed her a round bottle.

She looked down at the bottle, nodded to her self, and as Harry and Ron raised their wands at Malfoy, she lowered hers and stepped forwards.

Draco looked absolutely horrified as he stared at the bottle in her hand, and then he began to shake his head, "I'm not going to drink that! You can't make me!"

"Oh I can't, can I?" said Hermione in a mockingly sweet voice as she leaned over Draco, forcing him to stare up at her,

"Listen Malfoy, you're going to drink as much as I tell you to drink, and if you don't, well… I'll ship your dead body home for Christmas in a wooden crate."

Draco's mouth gaped open as he stumbled to find his voice, "Y-You w-w-ouldn't dare!"

"Oh I wouldn't, would I?" she said innocently as she raised her wand and pushed the tip threateningly into his stiff neck.

She uncorked the bottle with her teeth and leaned the bottle over Draco's lips. He reluctantly opened his mouth and allowed her to drip four big drops down his throat.

Satisfied, she pulled away from Malfoy and stepped backward, still aiming her wand at him. Draco shut his eyes tight, and then blinked several times, as though he had just been exposed to a bright light.

Hermione was now standing with Harry on her left and Ron on her right. She looked over at Ron who looked back at her,

"Hermione… what's going on?"

Hermione took a great breath and she felt her air ways flutter as the air drew into her chest. She closed her eyes for a second, and when she opened them, she saw Ron's beautiful, saddened eyes staring into her own.

As Ron stared at Hermione, he didn't know how to respond.

He was still completely shocked about what was happening, but here she was, the only woman he had ever loved, with great big tears falling from her eyes…

He wanted to hold her, he wanted to comfort her, but he first needed answers.

He quickly found his voice and said, "Tell me the truth… tell me everything."

Hermione nodded and faced Draco again who now wore a blank expression. She found her voice and said, "Tell me why you sent me those letters."

The trio stared at Malfoy who opened his mouth and said simply as could be,

"I wanted you. I wanted to fuck you. I've never been so turned on by another girl before… you've matured so much over the summer." He said with a small, crude smile, and then continued on in the same slow, almost monotone voice,

"Your breasts are huge, your butt is nice and perfectly round, and every time I look at you, I want to screw you."

Ron's entire face was bright red and he had a very strong urge to kick the crap out of Malfoy, but Hermione grabbed his arm and Harry cut in,

"If you want her, why not ask her out? Why send her anonymous letters?"

Draco slowly turned to Harry, "I don't want to date her. I don't want to be seen with a mudblood at my side, I don't want people to know. And I don't want to be her boyfriend, I want her sex." he said shamelessly,

"And anyways, I didn't place my name down on the letter because I didn't know if she would run to a teacher. Instead I sent a key and hoped that she would come and find me."

Harry replied, "But you weren't in the room. Even if she had shown up, you wouldn't have been there."

"I was there." Draco stated, "I was waiting outside the room. I was talking to some girls when I felt something bump into me. I looked around but saw nothing, so I thought it was you. And then I saw the door of the room open almost by its self, there was no one visible so I knew that it was you underneath your cloak."

Harry looked at Hermione, that was all he had to say, and Hermione continued from there,

"And then what happened?"

Draco slowly turned to face her, "I still wanted you. I wanted you so badly but I knew that I needed to convince you that you wanted me just as much as I wanted you."

Hermione sneered and Draco continued, "My father taught me legilimency at an early age; he said it would come in handy against enemies… but I soon realized that I could get into_ your_ memories… into your _fantasies_,"

Ron was listening to this with clenched fists; he was holding on to his wand so tightly, he was sure it was about to snap.

The last thing he wanted to hear was that Draco had been into his and Hermione's most private moments, via Hermione's memories, but Draco continued,

"And when I noticed that you were thinking about this 'mystery man' an awful lot, I thought that I would dig in a little deeper…"

Hermione knew exactly were this was going. She had figured it out while up in the DADA classroom, and the conclusion had hit her like a ton of bricks,

"You also used the imperious curse on me, didn't you?" she stated like a fact rather than a question,

"That's why those dreams were so real; that's why I felt as though all of those things were really happening, you were there, controlling every thing…"

Draco grinned, "Yes, I did use the imperious curse on you, well some form of it anyways. How else could I prove to you that I could be more of a man than Weasley? And it was so easy. I saw it in your head… you both made love so slowly, so passionately… but I felt a need inside of you, a need that I have as well…"

Ron glanced over at Hermione and wondered what this 'need' was when Draco continued to explain,

"It was all in your head… you enjoyed sex with Ron, but a part of you wasn't satisfied. You wanted it harder, more animalistic, more untamed and wild, and in different and risky places, and so I slowly placed my self in your dreams, hoping that I could tempt you…"

Draco sat quiet for a minute, a long tense minute were Ron waited for his next word, Hermione understood, and Harry felt embarrassed for being in the room.

Draco took a long breath and carried on, "When I noticed that you were enjoying the dreams I sent you another letter, a more sexual letter, hoping that you would take the key from before and meet me, but you didn't. You felt guilty, you believed that you were betraying Ron for even thinking about me and you decided not to come and find me after all.

"And so on Halloween I decided I would show my self to you, I decided that I would give you a clue to who I was, to see how you would respond, but something went wrong…

"You were fighting back, a part of you was fighting back and I was losing you, I was starting to get a brutal headache and my concentration was being tested, I kept losing control…"

Draco looked down at the floor, and then spoke with a harsh tone in his voice,

"You didn't want me after all. I showed you who I was, and you pushed away - you pushed away hard!"

Draco paused and Hermione noticed the expression on his face was almost one of rejection, but before she could comment on it he continued on,

"The next day, when I found out you that were in the hospital, I was worried that maybe you had figured out that it was me, and that maybe you would tell a teacher or run to Dumbledore. I tried to read your mind through the hospital doors, but it was blocked, I couldn't get through."

Hermione was confused, "But that doesn't make sense. If you were scared that I would tell some one about you and the dreams, why admit it to Ron? Why provoke him?"

Draco looked up at Hermione with a small icy look in his eyes, "I was angry. You didn't want me. Every other girl would love to have me, but not you, not little Miss Perfect! So I wanted to hurt you. And it was worth the risk of being caught, well worth it…"

Hermione nodded off slowly; that was all that she wanted to know.

Ron however was at a loss for words and stood silently next to Hermione with his mouth slightly open.

Harry was feeling awkward for being in the room, but before he could excuse him self the door to Snape's office slowly opened and in walked Dumbledore with Professor McGonagall and Professor Snape.

Dumbledore looked grim as he surveyed the trio who had now turned to stare at him, and when his eyes fell on Draco slumping in the chair he finally spoke,

"Well… I see that you three have made use of Professor Snape's veritaserum, but I must now ask that you leave Mr. Malfoy here with us."

Hermione was growing increasingly terrified and she opened her mouth to explain their situation when Dumbledore raised a hand and spoke,

"No need to explain Miss Granger, we heard everything. Severus," said Dumbledore turning to Snape, "Will you please notify Mr. Malfoy's parents of his current situation, and Minerva, could you please call Cornelius for me?"

The two teachers nodded without speaking and left the room together.

Then Dumbledore turned to the trio and gave an uncertain smile, "Well… Harry, Ronald, would you be so kind as to escort Miss Granger to the hospital wing? I think Madam Pomfrey will want to have a look at you," he said to Hermione and gave a small nod,

"It's best that you stay in the hospital wing for a little while longer, just to make sure that everything is alright and that Mr. Malfoy doesn't still have control over your thoughts."

Hermione looked into Dumbledore's blue eyes and saw some warmth. She nodded and quickly walked out of the room with Ron and Harry behind her, all three of them were silent.

But when they were out side of Snape's office and down the hall, Ron reached forward and grabbed Hermione's hand.

Hermione stopped walking and turned to her left.

Ron was standing next to her, staring at her with his beautiful blue eyes, eyes that were no longer cold but warm once more.

Her heart melted when she saw him weakly smile and she threw her arms around him and held on for dear life.

* * *

**A/N - Please **tell me what you guys think! I'm dying to know! Thanks - Gabrielle 


	25. The Whole Truth, and Nothing But

-The Whole Truth, and Nothing But-

They were the only ones in the hospital wing, just Ron and Hermione. Hermione was sitting in one of the hospital beds, under the white linens and Ron was sitting on the bed next to her.

Ron was holding Hermione tight as she gently cried on his shoulder. They had just spent the past five hours talking, and she had told him her side of the story.

She had explained to him about the letters, about her curiosity, about her secret fantasies of the 'mystery man' and she continued to express how deeply sorry she was that she hadn't told him sooner.

The entire time Ron had listened with out saying a word, and now that it was over, he felt his heart warming up again, and he was so glad that Hermione had not cheated on him after all.

But what Ron didn't know was that it wasn't over; Hermione had been holding out on one piece of the puzzle, and she wasn't sure how he'd react….

Hermione gently pulled away from Ron and wiped the tears off of her face with the white sheet of the hospital bed. She looked up and into Ron eyes… warm, loving, soulful eyes.

She smiled to herself, she had her boyfriend back, the love of her life, but there was one last thing to tell him….

"Ron," Hermione began, "There is one last thing that you need to know…"

Ron gave her a worried look, "What else? Don't tell me that you actually have feelings for Malfoy…"

"No no no! Don't be silly!" said Hermione softly smiling and shaking her head. "Okay… there's no easy way to say this, so here I go…"

"You know how I told you about that night, Halloween night, when Draco lost control of the dream?"

Ron slowly nodded looking increasingly worried but Hermione quickly continued on,

"Well, you know how I told you that I had become sick, how I was throwing up and I had a fever?" Ron nodded again, "Well… I wasn't really sick. Well I was, it was just… "

Ron looked like he was going to explode so Hermione blurted out, "I got pregnant while at your house during the summer and I had a miscarriage on Halloween night."

Ron was stunned. He didn't speak but his face had quickly jumped from a scared expression to one of shock.

Hermione was now the one who was worried and after a few minutes of silence, she leaned close to Ron, gently touched his hand and whispered, "You're not mad at me, are you?"

Ron suddenly came back to life, he looked into Hermione's eyes and registered what she had said, "No! I'm not mad Hermione, I'm just… shocked," he admitted.

It was true. He didn't know how to respond. What was he to say? A part of him hurt for the loss of a baby, while another part was slightly happy the child hadn't made it, and another part was completely taken aback by the fact that Hermione had been pregnant in the first place.

"Why didn't you tell me that you were pregnant?" asked Ron becoming his normal self again.

"I didn't know. I didn't find out until I got here and McGonagall told me,"

Ron nodded, and then asked, "Why did you have a miscarriage?"

Hermione weakly shrugged, "Sometimes it just happens… for no reason other than just bad luck."

Ron noticed Hermione looked completely ashamed so he pulled her in for a long, tight hug and smelt the sweet scent of her hair.

"Hey… Hermione don't be sad. Everything's fine… its okay, everything is alright… and I'll always be here to take care of you…"

Hermione smiled.

After that they spent the rest of the evening holding each other and kissing, until Madam Pomfrey came around nine o'clock and chased Ron out of the hospital wing so Hermione could get some rest.


	26. A Reoccurring Nightmare

-A Reoccurring Nightmare-

It was a cold November night and Ron couldn't sleep. An hour or so ago, he had had a most horrible dream, a dream in fact that he had had many times before.

As he sat on his bed, staring out of the dorm room window, his thoughts were tangled in a web of confusion and he was feeling pretty worthless. He was again, lost in thoughts about Hermione.

The dream had been about her, nightmares like this one had been happening quite often ever since he had learned the truth about Hermione and Malfoy. The dreams weren't always the same, but the outcome always was; Hermione would leave him for a more sexually pleasing Draco.

As Ron stared out at the frosty scene outside, watching owls flying far in the distance, he began to ponder a question: Why had Hermione been so interested in another man?

The question bothered him.

After the long talk he had had with Hermione two weeks ago, he understood why she dreamed about Draco, he knew that Malfoy had been controlling her dreams, but had he given her something that Ron himself could not?

He remembered Draco saying, "… you both made love so slowly, so passionately… but I felt a need inside of you, a need that I have as well… It was all in your head… you enjoyed sex with Ron, but a part of you wasn't satisfied… you wanted it harder, more animalistic, more untamed and wild, and in different and risky places…"

Ron frowned as he remembered this piece of information; Was Hermione really unhappy?

He had never thought about it before. He thought the sex that they had had been great, he had enjoyed it, but then, had she?

He never really asked her if she had been satisfied, he never really thought about it. But now as Ron sat quietly in his dark dorm, it was all he could think about.

_We haven't made love in months… what if we have sex, and it's horrible? What then?… What if I can't satisfy her like Malfoy did? What if I can't please her?_

He continued to stare out the window; his mind was running with a million thoughts. He didn't like to feel this way, he didn't like knowing that some other man could please his girlfriend better than he could, he didn't like it at all.

He felt like a complete loser, he felt like an idiot, he felt like his ego had been shot down. And he knew that he would have to do something about it.

He couldn't go on pretending that everything was alright when he was around her, because everything was not alright, he was angry and hurt.

And as he sat awake on his bed for the rest of the night, all he could think about was how to solve this little problem.


	27. A Very Steamy Encounter

-A Very Steamy Encounter-

The first weekend of December brought with it a trip to Hogsmeade and Harry, Ron and Hermione spent the whole day touring the tiny village.

They visited the Three Broomsticks, loaded up at Honeydukes and spent a full two hours at Fred and George's new Hogsmeade location.

By the time their visit was over, all three of them were quite cold. The weather had taken an unexpected turn for the worst and they found themselves walking towards Hogwarts against a chilly north wind.

When they finally reached the entrance hall, they pulled off their scarves and mittens and enjoyed the feeling of the warm castle air. They quickly ran up to the Gryffindor tower and planted themselves down in front of the closest fireplace.

The fire was warm but not nearly warm enough for Hermione, whose fingers were white duo to a lack of blood flow. She rubbed her hands roughly together and blew on them, but they still remained colorless.

"I think I'll go take a hot bath," said Hermione, still examining her hands as she stood up and walked towards the girls' dormitory.

When she returned back to the common room with a change of clothes, she noticed that Ron had a very weird expression on his face, but before she could question him about it, he stood up, kissed her on the cheek and told her to enjoy her bath before he walked off towards the spiral stair case.

Hermione shrugged to herself and headed out of the portrait hole and to the prefects bath on the fifth floor.

* * *

The prefect's bathroom was steamy, so steamy in fact that it was hard for Hermione to see.

After making sure that the room had been empty, Hermione had quickly turned on a combination of taps that resulted in a huge bath filled with pink and purple bubbles.

The scent of the water was one of coconut and papaya, and as Hermione floated in the piping hot water and breathed in the rich scent, she felt her body quickly relax.

She loved the prefect's bathroom. It was, in her opinion, the only was to bathe as the entire room was made of clean, white marble and the bath itself was as big as a swimming pool.

Hermione held her nose as she dunked her head under water, and then slowly came back up and wiped the bubbles off of her eyes. She then swim the length of the bath twice and then finally rested herself against the edge of the tub.

With her back against the wall and her arms holding herself steady against the edge, she closed her eyes and allowed herself to enjoy the hot water and bubbles that were playing against her bare breasts.

She was in paradise, but was quickly bought back down to earth when she heard a splash on the other side of the bath.

Hermione sucked in a scared breath, and she pulled her body closer to the wall behind her. She stayed in the water, completely motionless and quiet.

She squinted, trying to see through the thick steam, but it was no use; she couldn't see a thing. Suddenly she heard a voice a few feet away from her, she recognized the voice, but not before she screamed in surprise.

"Ronald, what the hell are you doing here!" Hermione shouted at her boyfriend who was now in plain view in front of her.

Ron half smiled, "Well I thought you wanted me to be more spontaneous, so I thought I'd surprise you."

Hermione stared at Ron for a few moments and then questioned, "When did I ever tell you that I wished you to be more spontaneous?"

Ron looked slightly guilty, "Well… I mean, that's why you dreamed about Malfoy, wasn't it? He excited you, right? He said that he felt a need in you, one that I wasn't fulfilling,"

Hermione couldn't believe what she was hearing, "Ron, that's not why I dreamed about Malfoy, he was controlling the dreams,"

"Yeah but you told me yourself that you thought about this 'mystery man' a lot during the day and stuff, so it had to be more than just Malfoy controlling you, I doubt he controlled your thoughts during the day."

Hermione at first didn't know how to answer this. She was hurt and felt like Ron was blaming her for being tempted, and with out comment she pulled herself out of the water and walked along the side of the bath and towards a pile of towels.

"Hermione!" Ron shouted as he quickly swam to the edge of the bath tub, pulled himself out and ran after her. "Look I'm sorry, okay? I'm just trying to figure out what I did wrong." he said sadly.

Hermione spun around to face Ron, she was still nude and had a towel in her hand. She was angry, not at Ron but at the fact that they were still dealing with this issue of Draco.

"Ron you didn't do anything wrong," she said while trying to hold her anger back and trying to be compassionate at the same time, "it really had nothing to do with you."

Ron looked her in the eye and responded in a calm, serious tone, "But it had to. Malfoy said that you wanted to have sex in different places, and be more wild and animalistic, and that I couldn't do that for you,"

"Malfoy was wrong," replied Hermione hastily.

"No he wasn't. He saw it in _your _mind, he wasn't making it up. Those were your thoughts, not someone else's… I just want us to be okay again…"

"But we are okay, aren't we?" asked Hermione, somewhat scared of the answer.

Ron paused and looked down at the marble floor at his feet before he spoke, "Hermione, did you enjoy the love that we made?"

Hermione softly smiled, "Yes, of course I did."

Ron looked up at her and into her eyes once more. "Then will you make love to me now?" he asked sincerely. Hermione stared at her boyfriend, the very thought of making love in the prefect's bathroom scared her and excited her at the same time.

On one hand she did want to, she wanted to so badly, and because of the Contraception potion that Madam Pomfrey had given her a month earlier, she knew that she could…

But on the other hand, they had had a close call with Dumbledore because of the night they spent in the Room of Requirement, and Hermione did not want to have the headmaster walk in on her and Ron having sex…

"Ron, I…" started Hermione as she stared into her boyfriends eyes, "I don't want to be caught, we already had one close call, I don't want to have another one."

Ron stared at her for a moment and then nodded off slowly as he looked back down to the floor at his feet without speaking.

It was an awkward silence as they both stood on the edge of the tub, naked and with nothing to say. Hermione felt her nipples hardening as she began to notice how cold it was out of the tub.

Hermione looked at Ron and said, "Why don't you join me for a bath?"

Ron glanced back up at her, sighed and then strained a smile.

When they were both back into the hot water, Hermione let her body float in the sea of bubbles as Ron stayed plastered to the bath's wall.

Hermione watched her boyfriend being completely miserable on the tub's edge and quickly swam over to him. She wrapped her arms around his neck and gave him a quick kiss on the lips.

When she pulled away she saw him smile at her earnestly. She gave him a few more peaks of affection, and then slowly she felt him wrapped his arms around her body and his mouth began to move.

They kissed wordlessly in the bath, first with small, short kisses which increasingly became faster and deeper. As their feet moved back and forth to keep them afloat in the water, their hands began to move and explore one another's body.

It was so good to feel each other again, so good to be in each others arms and to feel the touch of the others naked skin…

And before Hermione knew what was happening, Ron lifted her up and out of the water and sat her down on the edge of the bath. As her legs dangled in the hot water, Ron placed his two arms on either sides of her legs and raised himself up in the water and began sucking on her right breast.

Hermione threw her head back and tired to stifle a moan, as Ron's tongue swirled around Hermione's nipple, coaxing it to become a tight little nub in his mouth.

When it finally had, Ron began to suck on it and nibbled it gently, and Hermione raised her hands and placed them on Ron's head, encouraging him to continue his fine work.

As Ron teased Hermione he felt himself getting increasingly aroused and he was getting harder and thicker, the muscle tightening, the nerves getting ever so sensitive…

He knew that Hermione was enjoying herself and he was pleased, he was achieving what he had planned out to do. But he wasn't going to stop at her breasts…

When Ron pulled himself away from Hermione, she was about to lean forward and kiss him, but to her surprise he lowered himself back down into the water and then spread her legs open wide with his two hands.

Hermione's eyes grew in excitement and shock, as she couldn't believe what was happening. Of the many nights that her and Ron had been alone in his bedroom, they have never, not once done anything orally, but here was Ron now inching his face closer and closer to her privates.

When she felt his tongue on her she nearly giggled out loud, the sensation tickled her. But as Ron's tongue explored her, the tickling sensation quickly became one of pure pleasure.

Hermione placed her hands on the floor behind her so she could arch her privates at Ron, who was doing a very fine job at tracing the outlines of her lips.

Hermione moaned as she felt her whole body heat up.

What a great pleasure she was experiencing, how unbelievably good it felt to have Ron touch her in this way. And without thinking she started to moan Ron's name over and over again, and to her great delight, she felt Ron's tongue movements increasing.

As Hermione leaned her head back and stared up at the white marble tile above, she suddenly felt something penetrate inside of her and leaned forward to see Ron's two fingers discovering her.

Hermione let her body lean back again as she enjoyed the feeling of his fingers and his tongue working together…

And then slowly, she began to feel her body shake a bit as she felt waves of heat pass through her, her body making little jerks of pleasure…

Ron knew what was happening, but instead of stopping he increased his speed, persuading her to peak.

Hermione felt like she was going to explode…

The pleasure inside of her was too much to handle and before she knew it she felt her genitals convulsing with great sensations of euphoria.

Hermione's hands moved to the back of Ron's head where they grabbed onto his hair, and she felt her body climax as let out a cry of pure ecstasy.

Hermione sat on the bath's edge for a few moments until she felt her body slowly stop erupting with pleasure, and when she felt Ron's lips kiss her inner thigh she let go of all of her fears, slide into the water, and let Ron slip inside of her.

As they made love in the bath Ron was no longer worried about Malfoy, he knew that he had satisfied Hermione, and this knowledge made this sexual encounter the best one Ron and Hermione had had yet…


	28. Punishment and the Ride Home

-Punishment and the Ride Home-

"THAT'S IT?" yelled Ron across the breakfast table, spitting pieces of egg everywhere.

Hermione grabbed his elbow and pulled him back into his seat as Harry brushed the egg off of his robes.

Once Ron had sat down, Harry looked up from the day's issue of the Daily Prophet and grimaced,

"Well, what did you really expect? You know his father, he probably threatened or sweet talked half the Wizengamot."

Ron was fuming, "But he used an unforgivable curse! Malfoy should get life in Azkaban, not just ten years!"

Harry shrugged and turned to Hermione, "What do you think?"

"I'm just glad I won't have to see his face for the rest of the school year. And thank goodness there's only one week left before Christmas, I can't stand the staring." Hermione added a bit louder as she looked around the Great Hall and caught the eye of many curious students who quickly looked away.

The events of over a month ago had not left anyone's mind. Students were still recalling Hermione's attack on Draco Malfoy, of course in very hush voices, and his sudden disappearance had most of the school believing that she had in fact killed him.

But Hermione would much rather have the entire student body believe that she had murdered Malfoy rather then have the truth come out, so she, Ron and Harry had tried very hard for the last month to act as though nothing had happened.

"So, are we still going to your house for the holidays, Ron?" asked Harry, trying to change the subject to a more pleasant one.

Ron nodded and then went back to his food, trying hard to hold back his anger,

"Yeah…" he said slowly and then his voice became cheerier, "Yeah you guys are invited. My mum is absolutely thrilled actually," added Ron smiling to him self.

Hermione saw Ron's small, far off smile and asked innocently, "Oh really? Why would that be?"

Ron looked up from his plate and to Hermione, his eyes slightly wide with horror,

"Oh- ugh - you know… she just misses you two, that's all…" he quickly lied and went back to his eggs.

Hermione smirked and nodded, "Uh-huh…"

She then turned to Harry who held back a grin and shrugged his shoulders in a poor attempt to make it seem like he had no idea what was really going on.

Hermione nodded off to herself and went back to her breakfast with a light feeling in her heart.

* * *

Christmas break came quickly to the students of Hogwarts, and before they knew it, Hermione, Ron, Harry and Ginny were all seated in a compartment on the Hogwarts Express. 

Ginny and Harry sat next to each other and shared a copy of Quidditch Through the Ages between them, as Ron and Hermione quietly sat across from them.

Hermione stared out of the train window to the snow swirling outside, her mind was running again and she was lost in a whirl of thoughts, so lost in fact that she hadn't notice that Ron had been staring at her for the past hour.

Ron was worried, for the past week Hermione had been quiet and shy around him and it wasn't like her, so he leaned over and whispered in her ear, "Everything alright?"

Hermione stirred and turned to look at her boyfriend, "Hmm? Oh yeah, yeah… I'm fine…"

She wasn't fine, she was nervous, terrified actually as she didn't know what to expect from Ron's parents, seeing as Ginny had been hard enough to convince of her innocence.

Hermione thought now of the way Ginny had refused to speak to her after the fight her and Ron had had.

Ginny had believed of course that Hermione had in fact cheated on Ron and it had taken six whole hours and three repeats of the explanation before Ginny finally forgave Hermione and began talking to her again.

Hermione was grateful for Ginny's renewed friendship, but she was now nervous and anxious because she didn't want to have to go through the same headache with Ron's parents.

It was hard work, having to defend yourself when you know that you truly did nothing wrong, and Hermione was not looking forward to Mrs. Weasley's harsh stare when she set foot into the Burrow. But then Hermione had never actually asked Ron…

"Ron, did you tell your parents about… you know, our break up and the whole Malfoy… 'situation'?" whispered Hermione.

"No, they don't know a thing… hey," said Ron slowly as he began to smile, "Is that why you look so down? Did you think that I had told my parents, and now they would hate you or something?"

Hermione threw him a dirty look, but smiled embarrassedly now feeling relieved, "Well, you can't blame me for being a little bit worried. You remember that whole Rita-Krum incident when your mother was quite - well, um, less-than-friendly with me,"

Ron blushed and looked down, "That was only because she knew how much I liked you, but I swear Hermione, the only one who knows is Ginny and she won't tell anyone. I mean sure, they probably read that Malfoy went to Azkaban in the Daily Prophet, but they don't know why."

Hermione slowly smiled as she felt a great weight rise off of her chest, and before she knew it, all of her nervousness was gone and she, Ron, Harry and Ginny were quickly into a lively conversation about Christmas food, decorations and presents.


	29. Father Son Pep Talk

-Father-Son Pep-Talk-

"_I'm Celestina Warbeck and you're listening to the Witching Hour on this lovely Christmas Eve! I wish you all a Happy Christmas and a very Happy New Year, and here to get you in the mood is the song "White Christmas Trees" by the Weird Sisters…"_

It was Christmas Eve and the Burrow was filled with great music, cheerful people and loads of presents. The entire Weasley family was home and they welcomed Harry, Hermione and Fleur in open arms as all twelve people sat around an extended kitchen table to enjoy a wonderful Christmas dinner.

The table was full of food and everyone was laughing and joking as they sat and ate. Fred and George wowed everyone as they talked about their joke shop and the new items they were creating and Charlie retold a thrilling story of how he nearly lost his arm to a Hungarian Horntail.

Bill and Fleur told everyone about their wonderful honeymoon in Rome and Percy bored them all with Ministry of Magic talk. Harry and Ginny, who were sitting beside each other, were having a lengthy conversation about quidditch and Hermione and Ron sat happily beside each other and listened to everyone else talk.

The past three days spent at the Burrow had gone smoothly for Hermione and she was pleased to see that she was as loved as ever by Mrs. Weasley and her family.

But she had noticed that certain members of the Weasley family were, from time to time, giving Ron a strange look that they thought Hermione hadn't noticed, one of them coming from Arthur Weasley at this very moment from across the dinner table.

"Um Ron, do you think I could have a word with you?" said Mr. Weasley after the "look". Hermione turned to Ron who had the most particular expression.

He nodded stiffly and stood up so quickly that he knocked over his wine glass.

Hermione saved the glass from spilling all over the table and noticed that all conversation at the table had quickly ceased. But when she turned to face the others who were still seated, they all quickly turned away and continued their conversations.

Ron quickly smiled a nervous smile at Hermione and then left the kitchen with his father.

* * *

"So? Have you got the ring?" asked Arthur.

"Yeah..." said Ron nervously as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a small box.

"Well, lets have a look," said his father in a shaky voice; he was very nervous for his son.

Ron nodded and with quivering fingers opened the black box to reveal its contents.

Arthur smiled in approval and Ron snapped the box shut and quickly placed it back into his pocket. The very sight of it was making him nervous, never mind the thought of what he was about to do.

"Right." said Arthur, "How are you feeling?"

"Nervous," admitted Ron, "I don't know what to say… I mean, are you sure that saying whatever I feel in the moment will be good enough, Dad? Shouldn't I rehearse something? I mean, what if the moment comes and I don't say anything, and I just stand there like a complete prat?"

Arthur smiled at his son, "Then that's obviously not the right moment, is it? You need do it when it feels right, when you feel like you're going to explode if you don't do it. That'll be the right moment. And if it doesn't come tonight, you wait till the time is right."

Ron looked frightened, "If I wait till when I "feel it" and I'm not nervous, I'll be fifty years old!"

Arthur laughed and wrapped his arm around his son's shoulder, "You just wait, you wait till you see her; you'll change your mind."

And with that, Arthur steered his son into the family room where the rest of the family was seated.


	30. The Proposal

**Author's Note:** Yes folks, it has come to this, the **final** chapter, dun dun **DUN!** I know that a lot of you would love to see this story continue, and** it will** because I am going to write a sequel. I just had to get this story over with because I've been working on it for two months and I've read it about a** million** times (for editting) and I'm happy that it's done.

**I've begun my sequel, it's called Orchids in the Spring...**

But please remember, I have just entered university, therefore I won't be able to post all that quickly or as often as I have been. **Please** be **patient** with me and try to remember that I'd really rather give you guys a **great** story over a poor one. **Great stories take time, please give me that time.**

**Thanks! Gabrielle**

* * *

-The Proposal- 

Everyone was seated around the tall and skinny Christmas tree that had been set up in the Weasley's family room. As they sat on the couches, chairs and floor, Mrs. Weasley carefully walked around and handed out full mugs of rich hot chocolate.

Ron sat down beside Hermione on the couch. She passed him a mug and smiled at him brightly and he took the glass nervously, quickly smiled back and then looked down at the floor.

_For Merlin's Sake, I can't do this! _He thought nervously to himself as he snuck quick glances around the room and saw his family members giving him small smiles of encouragement,

_Everyone wants me to do it, but I have nothing to say! Maybe I can just do it, you know, quickly, like pulling off a band aid… No, that wouldn't be romantic, and Hermione deserves romantic…_

Ron raised the mug to his lips and took a very small, very shaky sip of hot chocolate. He felt the warm liquid heat up his insides and he felt his body quickly calming down.

There was something about cocoa that calmed down Ron's nerves. Maybe it was the rich taste, or the warmth of the liquid, or maybe just the smell, but what ever it was, Ron's mug was quickly downed and he was beginning to feel very relaxed for the first in a long time.

Hermione sipped her hot chocolate quietly and watched Ron out of the corner of her eye. He was looking a lot less nervous and uncomfortable then he had been ten minutes before, and when he wrapped his arm around her, Hermione smiled softly to herself.

When everyone was settled in and were half way through their mugs, Mrs. Weasley stood up and made her way to the Christmas tree as she said, "Well, I don't believe we should make them wait any longer Arthur,"

Mr. Weasley smiled and said to his wife, "Yes, I think they've waited long enough."

Mollysmiled and then began passing out presents to their recipients. When all of the gifts hand found their owners,Arthur nodded and there was a sudden explosion of wrapping paper being thrown into the air.

Hermione and Harry looked around the room and laughed as they watched the Weasley children go at their presents like there was no tomorrow. Harry gave Hermione a small shrug and then he too began to dissect his gifts.

Hermione laughed again and quickly turned to the gifts in her own lap.

The first one, a lumpy package wrapped in red paper, turned out to be a beautifully knitted crimson Weasley jumper with a golden heart on the front. Hermione thanked Mrs. Weasley from across the room, and then opened her second gift, a medium size box wrapped in blue.

The blue box contained an array of Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes from Fred and George. She also received a diary from Bill and Fleur, a dragon tooth charm from Charlie, a quill from Percy and,

"Oh my gosh, Harry!" exclaimed Hermione as she pulled back the green wrapping paper, "_Advanced Ancient Runes: Portal to the Future by Wanda Gotherow_, Harry this must have cost you a fortune!"

Harry shrugged and smiled as he watched Hermione look over her book in utter silence.

Ron too watched Hermione as she stared at the front of her book, he knew that what he had in his pocket would bring her more happiness than any book ever could… but how to do it?

After examining the cover of her book, Hermione finally looked up and over at Ron. He was busy examining his own gifts, and she thought this was as good a time as any to give him her gift.

Hermione dug her hand into her pocket and pulled out a small, plush navy box.

"Ron, Merry Christmas," said Hermione. Ron turned to face her and looked down at the box in her hand. He smiled at her and took the box slowly.

"Whoa, Hermione…" exclaimed Ron as he gently pulled the gold watch out of its box. Hermione smiled as she watched Ron attach his new watch to his left arm.

After a few minutes of adoring his watch, Ron looked up at Hermione, leaned in and kissed her gently on the cheek.

_This is it, now's the time – but I have nothing to say!_

"Umm…Hermione?" began Ron slowly.

"Yes?" replied Hermione sweetly.

"Ugh, I'll be right back." And with that, Ron got up off of his seat and headed around the corner and into the kitchen.

* * *

"What the hell is the matter with you?" he whispered angrily as he hit himself up side the head. 

"You think too much, that's what." said a female voice behind him.

Ron spun around and faced Ginny, who stood with her arms folded and a smirk on her face.

"Well you do," she continued in a whisper as she walked closer to her brother, "Just stop thinking so much, Ron. Just go out there and say it."

"But I can't!" whined Ron hopelessly, "The whole bloody family is out there, I don't want to do it in front of them!"

"Why not?" asked Ginny politely,

"Because Ginny, you don't understand," said Ron as he slowly peaked around the wall and watched Hermione without being seen, "You don't know how it feels to be in love… you can't imagine how special it is, or how happy you are… its unbelievable!"

Ginny slowly stepped behind Ron and watched him watch Hermione as she listened to him speak,

"I love her so much, and I want this to be special. I want this to be just between us…" he continued on without really realizing what he was saying…

He was lost in her beauty…

Lost in her smile…

Lost in the gentle slope of her chin…

… in the flow of her hair…

… in the sparkle of her eye…

"Ginny, I'm going to do it." said Ron suddenly as he awoke from his trance and walked out from around the corner and towards Hermione.

"About time." whispered Ginny to herself as she watched her brother leave her side.

* * *

"Ron dear, aren't you going to have some more cocoa?" asked Mrs. Weasley gently. 

"No mum," replied a new, determined Ron. He stopped next to Hermione and held out his left hand to her, "I want to give you my gift."

The room went completely silent and everyone turned to stare at Hermione who was staring up at Ron. She nodded slowly and gave Ron her hand.

Ron gently pulled her out of her seat and she gave him a questioning look, so he quickly lied, "The present's in my room. Much too big to fit underneath the Christmas tree."

Hermione nodded and silently followed Ron upstairs to his room.

When they reached his room, Ron opened the door and let Hermione inside. He then locked his bedroom door, and went to sit down next to Hermione on his bed.

Hermione threw her arms around him, "Isn't this a great Christmas?" she asked.

Ron grinned, "It really is. Thanks for the watch, I really like it, it must have cost you a fortune." he said as Hermione pulled out of the hug.

Hermione waved her hand, "It was nothing," she said and then sat quietly waiting for Ron to speak.

As Ron stared Hermione in the eyes,a flood of fond memories came flowing into his mind. The first time he met her... his jealously towards Vikor Krum...the firsttime they made love... the smell of her hair...the"all-knowing" look that he had recieved so many times before...

And slowly, without saying a word, Ron got off of the bed.

He paced the floor twice and then froze in the middle of the room. Hermione watched him with a pounding heart, wondering what would come next,

"Do you love me?" Ron simply asked as he stared at his girlfriend on the bed. He couldn't wait any longer, it had to be done now, or else he would explode.

Hermione smiled, "Course I do! Do you love me?" she asked mockingly, but Ron didn't smile in return. Instead he got really serious as he walked up to her and then got down on one knee.

He crouched in front of Hermione and held her hands in his as he stared up into her beautiful face and her precious eyes.

As he stared into the honey color of her eyes, his mind cleared and he was no longer worried about finding the right words because the right words were waiting to burst out of him,

"Hermione I love you with all of my heart," he began, the words just flowing out, "there is no other girl that I ever want to be with. I just want you; I've always wanted you, ever since we first met I've been in love.

"I've been thinking a lot lately, about us. We've been through so much together, and I've been thinking about our summer conversations, you know, when we talked about our future together. At first I admit that I was worried, I didn't know what you would say to this, but I remember that comment you made in September,

"So," he said as he slowly released his right hand from Hermione's lock and dug it into his pocket, "I want to ask you something."

Hermione gasped when she saw the small box that Ron pulled out of his pocket. She didn't know what to say… she knew what was coming, but she couldn't speak or think… she was lost in the moment…

"What are you doing for the rest of your life?"

Gulp.

Ron smirked as he stared up at his speechless girlfriend. He slowly removed his hand from hers and opened up the black box so that it faced her.

A beautiful ring sat in a cushion of black velvet. The ring was gorgeous.

Simple.

Elegant.

A white gold band with a single, princess-cut diamond on top.

Hermione gasped once again as small tears escaped from the corners of her eyes.

She nodded her head quickly in a response, and her right hand fluttered to her open mouth as she stared down at Ron who was removing the ring from the holder and slowly, very slowly letting the metal slide up her ring finger.

Hermione sat frozen on the bed for a good two minutes, staring at her left hand as though it was not even attached to her body…

And then, with out warning, she threw herself on top of Ron and started to pelt his face with big, wet kisses.

After five minutes of celebrating alone, Ron's bedroom door slowly opened and in walked Molly and Arthur followed by the rest of the Weasley family, Harry and Fleur.

"Oh I'm so happy for you both!" exclaimed Mrs. Weasley as she squeezed Ron tight.

Hermione and Ron received everyone's congratulations and then they all retreated back down to the family room where they spent the rest of Christmas Eve laughing, singing and dancing the night away...

…When two o'clock rolled around, everyone headed off to bed, everyone but Ron and Hermione who stayed seated on a couch in the family room, Hermione laying in Ron's arms…

"Ron?" said Hermione as she looked up at her fiancé, "Are you happy?"

Ron looked down at Hermione in his arms, "Of course I'm happy, aren't you?"

Hermione smiled a whole hearted smile, "Yes, with all of my heart and soul!"

Ron smiled back, "I promise Hermione, I'll give you everything you ever need and want."

"All I want is you."


	31. The Sequel Has Started!

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**The Sequel Has Started!**

**Check out Orchids in the Spring**

**Hope you like it!**

**Gabby004**

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